The recent articles on Nunez's excessive spending was focused on personal items purchased with campaign monies.

They missed the REAL crimes in campaign spending.

Look at the Campaign spending reports of many of these electeds...look at the payments to campaign consultants...

Hundreds of thousands of dollars of donated dollars being funneled into consultants for campaigns?

Nunez ran UNOPPOSED, how much campaign literature went out to his district, all he needed was ONE vote to win.

Where did all these campaign dollars go? Not to mailers, not to robo-phone calls.

Did it go to extensive campaign research and polls???

Or did it go to personal friends under the shadow of campaign workers -- and campaign advisers?

Or were there kick backs from these so called campaign consultants?

For example, Gil Cedillo raised over $300,000 for his election -- and spent it mostly on consultants and gifts -- but ran NO CAMPAIGN. (He had a built-in 80/20 advantage by the way Sacramento stacked the deck in district boundary's.)

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

HEY MARK "MR. K" GERMAIN: Remember all those calls ZD made to you over the past year and a half about LAUSD's $20 billion school construction budget -- and how you have a corrupt mayor who was sent to heist as much of the money for his political backers so they will promote him to governor? (Well those days may be gone...but he still has to pay 'em back for making him mayor.)

LOOKS LIKE THE HEIST IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!!! TODAY! AT THE LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION FOR YOU THAT THEY WANT TO "BORROW" SOME OF THE BOND MONEY FOR SOMETHING ELSE...THEN CAN ASK FOR ANOTHER BOND LATER, IF NEEDED. (Then maybe they can ask for another one, after that...INFINITY!)

from latimes.com:L.A. board may shift $1 billion to school construction[Don't worry...they will!]

The Measure Y bond money was approved by voters in 2005 for modernizing existing campuses. [But VillarGarcia LAUSD School Board Wants To Use It For Something Else. So THEY will make that decision for you!!!]

By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times Staff WriterOctober 23, 2007

Los Angeles school district officials want to close most of a staggering deficit in the school-construction program by using more than $1 billion in bond money that was meant for other purposes. The Los Angeles Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the shift today. [Let me take a guess...they'll APPROVE to shift this money?]

The proposal, expected to pass, would use -- for new schools -- money that would have repaired and modernized existing schools, improved Internet access and other technology on campuses, and built and repaired preschool centers. Instead, the funds will backfill the plan to build 145 schools in an effort to provide all students with a neighborhood campus that operates on a traditional two-semester schedule. [Because you can't hijack that much of the budget with little old repairs and modernization -- you have to build entire new construction projects to heist that much money efficiently and with no transparancy or accountability.]

"Our hope here is that this is just a borrowing, if you will, of those funds" and the original programs "will be finished sometime in the future with other funds, whether they be from future bond measures or from other sources," said Edwin Van Ginkel, senior development manager for the Los Angeles Unified School District. [Borrow now...people will forget it's a loan, then pass a bond measure in the future if you need more money. And how dare you vote, "No"...IT'S FOR THE KIDS, REMEMBER!?!?]

Van Ginkel added that the bond's wording allows for such a transfer. [It's called "loopholes" and they are intentional. To these people if it DOESN'T say they can't...to them it means they CAN. Ethics/Spirit of Intent vs What they can get away with, those shady f*cks...they should all be locked up in jail for what this new LAUSD school board is pulling!]

But the fine print of ballot resolutions is not enough, said Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights."Politicians will try to use whatever money is on hand to fill any hole they have," Court said. "And in those cases they're often very flexible with 'the voter's intent' when the voter's intent wasn't that elastic. Politicians can't lawfully seize on the fine print to use money where that use was not made explicitly clear." (Words suitable for framing.)[Infomercial Announcer: BUT WAIT...There's more!] Even after all the planned construction, tens of thousands of students will still attend classes in portables.

Justifications aside, a promise to voters is a promise, said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. "There was a factual determination that over a billion dollars was needed to renovate schools where students are going right now. To take money away from that seems a fundamental violation of public trust."

The point is not lost on Scott Folsom, vice-chair of the district's bond oversight committee.

Even after the new schools are built, he said, 80% to 90% of students will be attending schools that exist today.

Still, the oversight committee approved the transfer last week. Its decision is not binding on the school board, which rarely goes against such recommendations. [NO WONDER MONICA GARCIA PULLED THE PLUG ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDED THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S INVOLVEMENT!!! And Laura Chick appointed (endless non-action report-writer) Connie Rice to the "School Construction Bond Citizens' Oversight Committee" (LMFAO!)]

Folsom foresees another difficult juncture approaching: "We are going to need to go to the voters at some point in the future -- not that far away -- to ask for more money." [AND WITH THAT FINAL SENTENCE...ALL OF ZD'S PREDICTIONS HAVE NOW COME TRUE. F*CK YOU ANTONTIO AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING YOU UP TO THIS. HAVE SOME PRIDE AND DIGNITY...OH YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY YOU F*CKING HISTORICAL DISGRACE! MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA...THE PERFECT LOOKING PUPPET, WITH THE PERFECT SOUNDING NAME, SENT OUT BY HIS CORPORTATE MASTERS TO SELL OUT HIS OWN PEOPLE! YOU ARE GOING TO HELL ANTONIO! SAVE YOUR SOUL NOW, WHILE THERE IS STILL HOPE TO REDEEM YOURSELF. IF YOU ARE A RELGIOUS MAN, BEYOND USING IT FOR POLITICAL GAINS...YOU ARE GOING TO HELL, BRO! HAVE FUN! (Karma is a bitch, and no wonder your whole life and political career has unraveled.)

Monday, October 22, 2007

QUESTION: What do you think it will do to the City of Los Angeles' BOND RATING when they declare a FINANCIAL EMERGENCY in order to place the (cell-phone) tax on this February's ballot? (It's not like it's the ONLY tax or rate increase in town. DWP (Worker pay-hike, and with an eight-year drought -- it's gonna be a bigger rate increase than people expected), 22,000 Union workers (not that they don't deserve it...but you gotta account for the huge number), Bulky Item, Solid Waste, Trash Collection, Gang Tax...park programs tax on Council Referal agenda. What about Grafitti removal? And $300 million short in the budget, anyway. YIKES!

Plus, oh no...LAUSD is tied to LA City's bond rating, too. (Like an anvil, tied to an anvil.) How much is the payroll debacle gonna cost? Plus all the other fruad, waste and abuse. (See $5 million a month credit card scandal and-- the Audit Committee cancelled by VillarHuizarGarcia -- as they hand over boatloads of cash to non-transparent non-profit Charters. LAUSD's budget is DOUBLE that of LA City's...PLUS the $20 billion school construction budget ZD has been concerned about MASSIVE f, w & a opportunity (without that Audit Committee).

Add it all up...a if the City of Los Angeles were a stock, Zuma "Cramer" Dogg would be yelling, "SELL!!!", and hitting that panic buzzer. [Rent, don't buy.]

(Oh...I almost forgot this was about Arnold's pal Nucklehead Nunez. It is his district though.) Do you think that Antonio is jealous of Fabian's lifestyle? After all, even Antonio isn't living THAT large...I HOPE!

CM Wendy Greuel has her people at the NOHO Neighborhood Council, again, asking for money for street cameras, again. AT WALGREENS!!! [Insert outrage, here!]

Related Featured Comment: CM Garcetti got funding to put cameras in two "undisclosed" areas in Glassell Park and Atwater Village. Come to find out, the equipment set up was stolen before the cameras could be installed. They were trying to hide it. Are you kidding me?

SKID ROW HOMELESS GET TO SET UP TENTS ON SIDEWALKS, AGAIN -- LEGALLY! (And I think this will be good for business and residential growth. I'm sure Eli Broad's Grand Avenue Project are thrilled!) Because the new law of the land, is that you may now, once again, set up your tent encampment on the sidewalks of Downtown Los Angeles, California, as long as you are not blocking a doorway. This is a temporary measure the police will allow until hundreds of affordable housing units are built, which should take at least a couple years. (But I don't expect delays when it comes to Villaraigosa's LA City.) 790 KABC's Doug McIntyre added that Downtown CM Jan Perry is now o.k. with this because it will allow the homeless to dispurse into the sidewalk in-front of your house. (And now, I guess it will exapand Citywide -- since now that it is legal, more people will do it.) Um, I think Doug is against this ACLU negotiation with their former associate and current "pal" Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

AND DID YOU SEE THE COMMERCIAL WITH GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER TELLING THE UNITED STATES THAT GOOD JOBS ARE AVAILABLE IN CALIFORNIA, AND PLEASE MOVE HERE. (Cheyah, right?!? How about simply begging them not to bug-out.)

[What do Mayor Sam readers think about these issues? Post a comment.)

Thanks to City Hall for putting the City Council English LIVE feed back on the lacity.org! (Even if ZD had to blow a gasket over it and make a couple phone calls.)

Saturday, June 2, 2007

The "Manhattanization" of Los Angeles: The Federal Government Needs Us To Do This To Compete In The Global EconomyWHY THE CITY LOS ANGELES WANTS TO TAKE YOUR HOME AND BUILD A SKYSCRAPERIt's Not Their Fault -- Washington, DC Is Making Them Gentrify To Compete In The Global Economy And The Plan Includes Mexico

Click here and type "zuma" in keyword search box for ALL ZD Public Comments from City Hall as seen on TV 35. Or "zuma density" for comments on this topic.

After reading the LA Weekly article and combining that with a conversation I just had with the "liberal" version of Zuma Dogg. (Find a Venice Beach type, like ZD, who represents Hahn/Garcetti to a T.)

So as he was talking about what needs to happen in regards to the development future of this City; and it basically sounded exactly what the Garcetti and City Planners were preaching in the LA Weekly.

So here's what I realized: We are in a period of transition. We are at the end of the old, as they are just starting the new. But they haven't even started yet…government officials are still conceiving.

The Manhattanization of Los Angeles has a lot to do with what has happened in China.

They have taken the manufacturing industry away from the U.S. and have used the profits to steamroll the place into the skyscraper filled, George Jetson city, the City of Los Angeles hopes it can be.

They are actually ahead of us in this area, to the point that they have over-developed and polluted themselves, nearly to death.

They are going green now, the way the mayor wants to, not because they want to, but because they have to. (The effect of an "all you can eat buffet" among greedy powers that be. "Just do it now, make the money, suffer consequences later. We'll worry about the problem when it gets here.")

[CLICK READ MORE...A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO USED TO LIKE ME WILL HATE ME AND VICA VERSA. SIMPLY, ON THE REALSEST, DOUGH!]

So the mayor knows he has to make this speculative environmental technology -- present environmental technology to prepare for wall to wall skyscrapers in this city that will create such bad traffic, the smog will be unbearable, and we will have to find energy alternatives.

[AND, Villaraigosa feels that LA could use a little "high quality" industry to export abroad. LA can be the "green machine" technology providers to the world. And we need that! BUT I STILL SAY DON'T INVEST PENSION MONEY TO DO IT!]

So the bullet train needs to be built from San Diego to San Fran – Subway to the Sea needs to get rolling; and all the light rail needs to be built and buses added to prepare for the masses.

Cause here's the problem. LA is liberal and doesn't want to do this. (Gentrify/Steamroll the current "single home and a car" in favor of wall to wall skyscrapers. But the politicians HAVE to!)

China has already become the skyscraper capital, surpassing us.

So U.S. has to team up with Mexico to create one region so as to be able to compete in this global economy.

I've said it before a million times before. But after the LA Weekly article and a conversation last nigh, it kinda all clicked and I see the BIG picture.

China has shifted the manufacturing to their region, and used the money to create the ultimate density city.

And if we don't make something to compete, they will become more dominant.

But we are at a disadvantage. The City wasn't planned for this type of development, as a matter of fact it put measures in place to protect against this "Elegant Density/Smart Growth."

But the superpowers have figured it all out, and we have to do this, or we will lose in the global "survival of the fittest" challenge.

UNFORTUNATELY...WE are stuck in the transition period for the rest of OUR lives.

The period where the party is over, we have to build the density first, and try to keep up with the infrastructure later.

And we have all these homes and buildings in the way, and everything is so spread out.

But in thirty years, it MAY begin to improve.

CAUSE HERE'S THE PROBLEM Y'ALL...

You are building all of this based on magic bullet trains and a lot of things that requires bond money and a vote of the people.

You have planned all of this based on building subway to sea, magic bullet train, more buses, more police, schools...all these things that require a vote of the people.

What if they say "no" to the FLY LA SF to SD bullet train in '09?

What if subway to the sea doesn't get funded?

THEN WHAT? I know, I know...eventually it will get bad enough that even the toilet cleaners will vote "yes" on the bonds to pay for the bullet trains. (And in the LA Weekly article they admit, that it is gonna have the traffic gridlock is going to have to get so bad, that people will be begging to vote to spend billions for Jetsonville.

We need the region to allow the uber-elite to hop on the train in Vegas in the morning, do business in LA, then bullet train it back to Vegas.

Bottom line: It's gonna get done, one way, or the other. China has done it, and now we either, "do or die". This isn't about Antonio's decision.

The gentrification of LA, and the impending privatization of the education system, and the merging with Mexico, through immigration and policy == is paving the way for us to have a shot in the survival of the fittest global challenge.

So yeah, all the culture, heritage and ecology is going to be wiped away. I guess you can say we saw were part of the good old days.

Only problem is, we are stuck in the transitional moment of time where it is darkest before the light.

Get ready for the Darth Vader helmet operation on the entire SCAG region of Los Vegas, North Mexico. It's our only hope.

See. ZD knows what time it is. Why didn't you just tell me, instead of trying to hide it.

It's the deception I don't like. If you just said, "Sorry kiddies, have you seen China? Have you seen Asia? At one time an AMC Pacer was the coolest thing in the world. I would understand.

It’s over. U.S. and Mexican powers that be have decided the continent must unite and merge in order to survive in this global economy. Canada will be next to complete the North American trifecta . Then let the buffalo roam, as they will from Mexico, through Kansas, to Canada! And the trucks will roll from the ports down this corridor, delivering imported items to Best Buys and Wal-marts like a newspaper truck, driving through the neighborhood, making deliveries.)

Funny, while we are discussing building borders against the enemy on our own continent...the guys overseas blew past us, and took the lead.

So, the U.S. and Mexico governments have it figured out. LA, will be built and designed to be the international region for two purposes:

a) Provide the George Jetson, luxury, sky-scraper mega-metropolis city that people overseas, with all the money, seem to enjoy. (Vegas has steamrolled and made over the city with a skyscraper skyline, with way more to come. So we have to even compete with that, from a national level. But NV and CA want to build a bullet train, to help unite the region, and compete/accommodate globally, too.)

It will cost billions and billions and billions of tax-payers dollars to build all the infrastructure (bullet trains, light rail more busses) to do this. And there is a long period of time when the trapeze artist will be "mid-air" between trapeze bars.(The time between when all the density causes COMPLETE trafficgridlock, and the point where we finally have the infrastructure completed.) AND, the plan IS to let it get so bad, first. So the demand (and willingness of taxpayers to fund it) will be there.

b) Get Southern California in shape to overhaul the infrastructure, so we can more efficiently execute our role in the US economy. THE PORT INDUSTRY. 40% of all US goods come through the ports and roll down the 710. So that is a FEDERAL and STATE priority. (To make the movement of goods process more efficient and more environmentally safe, cause pollution is a huge problem that will be getting worse.)

And since we need to build all these skyscrapers and bullet trains and subways, we are going to have to ease up the immigration policies to allow the cheap labor we get from Mexico to build all this stuff and service all of it.

So, in Southern California, look for the trend to be having the U.S. loosen up the borders, through policy like drivers licenses for illegals, and amnesty because the decision has been made. We need their labor to build the infrastructure, then service it, cause we need all the help we can get -- cause we have a lot of catching up to do to be on par with our international compadres. Asia/China want us to improve our infrastructure so we can accommodate them, cause they have a lot of money and like to have accommodations in their U.S. Annex. And we need to catch up, so they don't crush us, economically.

Although guys like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity and all their callers (and a big hunk of US society, in general) would never, ever, ever, ever, go along with the idea of OPENING up the borders...THAT'S WHAT THE PLAN CALLS FOR. IT'S NORTH AMERICA vs. ASIA/CHIA/INDIA...NOT U.S. vs. Mexico vs. Canada. So it looks like we will be reluctantly teaming up with our low wage, non English speaking neighbors.

Cause yes, the "Leave it to Beaver" days are over. And our enemy's enemy isour friend. And in the global economic arena, the enemy/competition is overseas.

So all the Archie Bunkers are gonna have to live with all those Univision watching, La Opinion reading, La Raza 97.9 listening, Spanish-only speaking Mexicans, who aren't here because they love the John and Ken show, and wanna have dinner with people from the local homeowners association. They are here because Mexico sucks, from an economic standpoint. And they come here, because of the economic opportunity.

It kinda used to irritate me when I am standing in a 7-11 in Los Angeles, and everyone in the store is speaking Spanish, and it's on the Westside. But, obviously there is a demand for what they are doing. I know people say, if they weren't here, it would mean more jobs for legal residents. And of course they are taking a percentage away.

BUT HERE'S THE DEAL: For the game plan the Federal government has in mind, it includes taking advantage of the cheap labor, which is willing to live here, underlow-income, sucky circumstances. They aren't buying property in Beverly Hills. They aren't scamming anyone in big real estate deals.

When Cedillo has Schwarzenegger approve driver licenses for illegals, it isn't to drive to a Paris Hilton party on the red carpet. It's to simply be able to drive to their low-paying, hard labor, or boring as hell, manual labor job. (And to those who are able to rise above that, and jump into something better. Fine, they obviously created the demand to go from dishwasher to waiter. Or phone operator, to salesperson.)

See, right now, the powers that be are scared to tell opponents the master plan, because people don't like change, they like to maintain not only the status quo, but like to maintain heritage, and that's the way it's always been around here.

Except things change. And not changing, is change itself anyway. So the transition is gonna suck. We are stuck at the worst part. The mess left over from neglect. And the clean up and rebuilding process, which includes the plan of getting worse, before better, because the demand will be here, before the supply of Jestons infrastructure. AND THE DAY, SOMETIME SOON, WHEN ALL THE ILLEGALS ARE ISSUED DRIVERS LICENSES...YOU WILL HAVE INSTANT TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK SHUT DOWN THE NEXT DAY. And that is part of the plan, cause then -- you will be BEGGING to be taxed to death to pay for it.

Will eggs have to be broken...yes? Will there be time for all the "Zuma Dogg's" out there (public activists) to provide all the public input to consider all of this? (No!) Will your house be crushed by a skyscraper being dumped on top of your land? (Yes.) Are we about to wipe away the entire cultural and historic heritage and smooth it all over with cement? (Yes!)

That's just the way it is. It's a much bigger picture than what goes on at the NC meeting, City Council meeting, SCAG meeting or Governor meeting. Poor Antonio and Council. I just sat here for the past year trying to get them to enforce vacancy rates and laws that were put in place to prevent this exact scenario. But at the end of the day, it is futile to resist. You can't stop a wave, only ride it. Otherwise it crashes on your head.

So embrace this cultural era: And next time you are on the bus, or standing at the crosswalk, look at that illegal worker who you used to resent for being here illegally and say, "Welcome to the Estados of Unidos, mi amigo! Man, doesn't it suck that you had to come here, only to work so hard, for so little, only to have to send it all back to Mexico (since they have no welfare system), and you have to live in crowded garages. But you, and I, my friend are screwed, cause we let the global economy race pass us by, while we were resting on out laurels. So let's unite to prevent from being overtaken and held economic hostage from China, Asia and India.

Meanwhile, in thirty or forty years, when it's all done...Cal-Vegas, New Mexico will be a great city if you are super-rich, or super-poor. Everyone in between (the middle) will be gone. We are heading to a two-class, divided system, just like in Mexico. But every system has to have a top, middle and bottom. If you cut our the middle, it breaks. Ask any two class system. So let's make sure the City sticks to the concept of these mixed use "elegant villages" without the corruption and make sure you maintain the balance of top, middle and bottom. You won't. Cause greed always wins out. Cause things are evaluated at the balance sheet level, so that's the ball people are keeping their eye on.

Zuma's Public Comment Thread: Will Post Info As It Comes In Throughout The Day

I don't know if this blog is getting hotter, or if Villaraigosa is getting shadier. But my email inbox is getting a lot more stuff piling in. I like to share the info here on the blog, since it is kinda a privilige and an honor that people feel it is worthwile sending it to me. So that's the pressure that keeps me blogging here. And as u can c...there may be a shortage of water when it comes to all the high density housing they are building, but there is no shortage in LA City Hall river of shadiness that is running wide and deep.

UNION SALARY INCREASE BREAKDOWN: Here are the salary increases starting July 1, 2007, and then every six months going forward for the next five years. Because of the magic of compounding, this represents a 28.6% increase! Not bad for a City with a budget deficit. Get ready for more taxes now and bond issues in 2009. (I thought it was only going to be 13% over five years according to the credible newspapers with their great sources.)

CM JOSE HUIZAR: Some of your constituents will be stopping by the council meeting today (Tuesday) to say hello! (I even get complaints about this guy from other districts.)

zumadogg@gmail.com

LA Times Starting To Pick Up On Zuma Times Concerns Over Statewide Nonprofit Corruption, Thank You!

LA Times..."And there's one more thing these two high rollers have in common (Schwarzenegger and Nunez): They're both bending rules of ethics, if not snapping them in half. Schwarzenegger's little nonprofit is well-fed with donations from people who don't have to disclose their identity. So not only is it unclear who's paying for the governor's travels, but the tax write-off for donors, and the use of a charitable organization to fund luxury travel, are arguably a corruption of the tax code."

Zuma Times...Esscue me? Wasn’t Zuma Dogg aksing for LAANE to disclose all of their donors? Zuma Dogg doesn’t see why they wouldn’t? (Unless there was something to hide?) Obviously, the nonprofits know who all of their donors are!

For example, there’s this "little" nonprofit called LAANE (LA Alliance for a "Neutered" Economy). Some people say it Villaraigosa's Think Tank.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE LA TIMES...BUT THE ZUMA TIMES IS CALLING FOR LAANE TO DISCLOSE THEIR COMPLETE DONOR LIST! (Why wouldn’t you? Just because it isn’t a law, doesn’t mean you cannot still be ethical, anyway.)

And I bet we would see some very familiar names that we all know. That would be cool…cause LAANE is GOOD, y’all!

Is The City of Los Angeles Going To Get An "Open & Transparent" Process With New DWP GM? (Or will Villaraigosa Do It HIS Shady As Hell Way, As Usual?)

Regarding the appointment of Deaton's replacement as General Manager of DWP, it looks as though the "open and transparent process" is important to people, based on the feedback on this blog.

See the stories below, on this blog, about Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's "wine and dine" pal, David Nahai, who just stepped down as Board President of DWP to take the GM position. (Oops, I mean for some other reason, and now would like to be considered by Mayor Viagraosa for the GM spot. (Even though neither one of them knows what it takes to run a power plant.)

Wouldn't it be funny if Nahai gave up his Board Presidency, but only to get blocked from becoming the GM because of the political pressure building up!?!?

Why is a transparent and open selection process important? Perhaps someone like Keith Brackpool thinks he is more qualified and wants the job too? (Just kidding!)

But on the realest, dough...why is a transparent and open selection process important?

Wasn't it one of the major Antonio Villagrosa campaign promises to clean up City Hall and bring in an "open and transparent City government"? (But, that kinda does take up a lot of time, though...and sometimes you don't end up with your hand-picked cronie.)

Perhaps that big promise went out of the window together with the other issues he was campaigning on?

Roosevelt High School Parents continue their fight against Mayor Villaraigosa’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools – Parents will march in public objection

Media Advisory from lausdparents@gmail.com

On Tuesday, October 9,2007 parents of students at Roosevelt High School and its feeder schools will demonstrate to contest LAUSD board member Monica Garcia and Mayor Villaraigosa's plan to trounce over the will of teachers and parents and implement their plan to take full control of Roosevelt High School and Hollenbeck Middle School. Villaraigosa staffers are presently devising the voting scheme whereby they will send out absentee ballots and conduct school site 'elections' within the next 30 days. The selection process of the schools has never been announced transparently to all parents and teachers.

Parents continue to learn details of the Mayor's plan from teachers and school principals since those parents who have expressed concern about the takeover have been effectively shut out of the decision making process, even though they have children attending these schools. Rather, cronies like Inner City Struggle and Boyle Heights Learning Collaborative continue to import their own hand-picked parents (from as far away as Montebello) to the community meetings to create the illusion of parent support. Tomorrow, Roosevelt parents will describe they manner in which they were intimidated and berated at a September 26th meeting by Inner City Struggle employees and a UTLA Chapter Chair, while Villaraigosa staffers looked on approvingly.

The meeting was held in the cafeteria of Roosevelt High School, arranged and promoted by Inner City Struggle on behalf of Mayor Villaraigosa's Partnership for LA Schools.

Last month, Superintendent Brewer and Kathy Littman made their rounds to East LA schools to peddle the Mayor's plan, they were told in person by parent leaders that Villaraigosa's dim-witted political experiment is not wanted in Boyle Heights schools.

The parent march tomorrow is a continuation of several public demonstrations that have been held to send the message to Villaraigosa- ROOSEVELT SAYS NO!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 8:30 amRoosevelt High School456 South Mathews StreetLos Angeles, California 90033In front of the school main entrance

CLICK READ MORE FOR PRESS RELEASE

Roosevelt High School Parents continue their fight against Mayor Villaraigosa’sPartnership for Los Angeles Schools – Parents will march in public objection

What: Parent Demonstration to Oppose Mayor Villaraigosa’s Takeover of Roosevelt High School and its feeder schools

When: Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 8:30 am start

Where: Roosevelt High School456 South Mathews StreetLos Angeles, California 90033In front of the school main entrance

Why: Parents of students attending Roosevelt High School and its feeder schools will publicly oppose Mayor Villaraigosa’s impending takeover of their schools.

Email: lausdparents@gmail.com

New U.S. attorney in Los Angeles Sworn In: GOOD! He's Right in Antonio's Backyard/Shakedown Zone!

New U.S. attorney in Los Angeles sworn in

Thomas P. O'Brien was sworn in as U.S. attorney in Los Angeles on Friday, a day after the Senate confirmed his nomination by President Bush.

The career prosecutor will oversee about 250 attorneys responsible for all federal prosecutions in a judicial district that includes Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties."You are going to see a revitalized, energetic office move forward and meet the needs of this district," said O'Brien, 48.

GOOD! Hey Thom...why not start off with something easy: LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. He's Hillary Clinton's Campaign Co-Chair. Read this blog to find out more about this constant-constitution violator.

Anyway...welcome to Los Angeles Mr. O'Brien. You can make an entire career simply by investigating Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. (I promise it will be time well spent!)

* Pay special attention to Villaraigosa's non-profit affordable housing scam, taxation without representation (new taxes, without a vote of the people) and possible racketeering with DWP.

COMING SOON: ARE NON-DOCUMENTED/ILLEGALS STILL BEING USED ON LA CITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS DOWNTOWN AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY? IS THAT A SECURITY/SAFETY RISK? DOES ANYTHING PREVENT A TERRORIST FROM STEPPING OFF THE PLANE AND BEING HIRED TO WORK ON A NEW CONDO PROJECT THE SAME DAY? (No ID required!) Anyone worried about the shoddy work and safety issues? Meanwhile, legal U.S. residents cannot get work on these sites, but you still tax the hell out of them. (Double bamboozle)

LA CITY HALL ALERT: LA TIMES pissed me off with this story about LAUSD and Superintendent David Brewer.

So look for ZD to be "going" where he hasn't gone yet, regarding LAUSD. (Sorry Steve Barr, you know I like you, but I'm gonna start hitting Villaraza and his LAUSD muppet school board pretty hard -- and we all know which muppet Monica Garcia is.)

SHAME ON YOU LA TIMES FOR LOSING ALL CREDIBILITY BY ATTACKING BREWER FOR YOUR CRIMINALLY BEHAVING MAYOR. Did he hire "Delliotte and Douche" over the failed payroll debacle? Did Brewer waste $5 million a month on credit card fraud? Was Brewer School Board President over the huge mess to be cleaned up, or was Jose Huizar?

HEY MONICA GARCIA...WHY DID YOU ELIMINATE THE AUDIT COMMITTEE? WAS IT TO KEEP THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OUT OF THE BOARD MEETINGS!?!? (That is the only committee the IG sits on)

HEY MONICA...WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST THE INSPECTOR GENERAL? HE IS THERE TO INVESTIGATE AGAINST FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE...BUT YOU LITERALLY BANNED HIM FROM MEETINGS OVER THE SUMMER...AND NOW YOU HAVE ELIMINATED THE AUDIT COMMITTEE HE SITS ON.

QUESTION: IF YOU ARE TRYING TO FIX THE SCHOOL SYSTEM...WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO BAN THE PERSON WHO IS MAKING SURE THE SYSTEM ISN'T BEING ROBBED BLIND? But I can't figure out how they could have approved Pueblo De Semilla, either. Click here for Semilla Charter Story (And they want MORE charters...LOL!)

ANYWAY...watch Mayor Sam's blog for more on the problems with the new Villar-backed LAUSD school board. (I don't think some of this stuff is legal?)

zumadogg@gmail.com

p.s. What non-profit affordable housing board does LA Times editor sit on? Maybe that's why Antonio has LA Times by the balls.

ZD was wondering about the relationship between DWP President H.D. Nahai (candidate to replace Ron Deaton as DWP GM) -- and Villaraigosa advisor

Question maybe one of the NEWSPAPERS can ask Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: How could Nahai be the top pick -- when there hasn't been any selection process yet?

How many applicants are there, already? Who are/were the final 3?

(How do we know there isn't anyone better for the job?)

The mayor can appoint whoever he/she thinks is the best for the GM job according to the Charter -- but there has to be a transparent and open selection process since we are a democracy and not a dictatorship.

Look for Nahai to pursue "cleaner" energy (expensive warm and fuzzy idea), higher rates, more money to environmental/energy companies/groups, and more money to the City's general fund.

Wonder how much Brackpool hangs out with Viagraosa and Nahai as homies? (Hope Nahai had fun with Antonio in Asia!) And what exactly IS the definition of "racketeering"?

So City Hall...have your spin-losers get ready to spin all of this...

WHAT TO WATCH FOR (Sheer speculation on ZD's part): Brackpool's company CADIZ has been planning a giant desert groundwater storage project with MWD earlier, but filed suit against MWD in 2005 for not going through with the project.

Did Brackpool's project ran into some environmental issues?

Naihai is going to help Brackpool spin and turn the project into an environmentally friendly project?

LADWP may be going around Metro Water Division (MWD) to do some water projects directly with Brackpool?

SPENDING ALERT: Nahai says "By incubating new green technologies, we're going to give birth to a whole new way of making money".

The whole new way of making money: set up "clean" energy sources on Brackpool's property, and sell them to LA DWP at higher rates?

And remember...alternative/clean energy is the more expensive alternative. (One of those "warm and fuzzy" nice things that we hope people will be willing to pay more for - cleaner energy/environment.)

Brackpool will make more money, LA DWP will make more money, and more money will be transferred to City's general fund?

A win-win situation for everyone involved in the racket. Maybe that is why they are in cahoots. (If the mayor and DWP President are out drinking and blabbing about the proposed DWP rate hike/general fund transfer together (off the clock/behind closed doors/at a bar) is that considered "racketeering"?

zumadogg@gmail.com

MEDIA ALERT: Here are the ACTUAL numbers for you to print for the LA City union increase: 15%-28%. (STOP MINIMIZING THE TRUTH WITH INACCURATE STATS!)

HEY DAILY NEWS…It’s 28%, not 23%. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSPAPERS IN LOS ANGELES KEEP PRINTING FALSE NUMBERS. WHY IS EVERYONE TRYING TO “MINIMIZE”/”SOFTEN THE BLOW” TO L.A. TAXPAYERS???

First the papers say, “13%”. Zuma Times was saying, “more like 25%”. (And I had to use “at least 25%” at some point because I saw it was heading even higher .)

Maybe Council (and the newspapers) were being “shady minimizers” because a 28% increase, with the budget in the shape it is in (and no comparison made to private industry) is kinda living in denial.

So remember, whether you are a City Council member in the dark, or a newspaper reporter embarrassing their publisher and medium, in general, with lazy, shoddy, half-ass, inaccurate, shady-minimizing reporting; and you need credible, accurate information – before it happens – contact: Zuma Dogg of ZumaTimes.com. I’ll be glad to tell you what I already know, that you are trying to figure out – incorrectly.

I AM PUBLISHING THIS EARLY ON SUNDAY, INSTEAD OF HOLDING IT UNTIL MONDAY SO THE NEWSPAPERS CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO GET THE INFO OUT TO THE PUBLIC TOMORROW. I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND THINKING IT’S 13, WHEN IT’S 28. OR EVEN 23, when it’s 28. I’m really glad all these newspaper reporters are getting paid for their laziness. I’M NOT!

(Anyone want to lease my “Batcomputer”? I would prefer if someone else, who actually gets paid, were to sit here and do all the calculations and typing/work.)

But until then, here’s a little plagiarism by ZD from tomorrow’s newspaper headlines: 15%-28% over five years for most of the 22,000 city union workers that are part of this negotiation. (And perhaps an apology for being so wrong, and having to copy ZD’s homework, or who knows how long they would keep getting it wrong, and “minimizing” the truth.)

ZD never knows which issues are gonna "blow-up" here, or not. So here's an example of a little ol' reference to the LA Times story on Nahai stepping down...

AND NOW I CAN TELL YOU BASED ON THE EMAILS COMING IN, CELL PHONE MESSAGES AND COMMENTS HERE ON MAYOR SAM...THERE IS MORE TO THIS STORY THAN IS PRINTED IN THE PAPER...

AND I THINK THERE IS A SENSE OF "DESPARATION" OVER THE TIMING OF ALL OF THIS...MUCH - MUCH MORE TO COME...I think this avalanche of shadiness is gonna end up burrying at least one or two folks. (Politically, at least.)

So out of all the stuff ZD has been blogging about so hard (to take a bite out of shadiness)...looks like this is gonna be a big thorn in Villaraigosa's Citywide shakedown attempt. Not that I've been doing this for that long, but when the chatter gets like this...I know what's next. LAUSD/CHARTERS, NON-PROFIT SCAMS, DONE/NC STAFFER CONFLICTS, ELLIS ACT REFORM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING SCAM...IT'S GONNA BE HUGE. NEWSPAPER REPORTERS...GET READY!

From: latimes.com ("National News" section)

Head of DWP board resigns

Move is seen at City Hall as H. David Nahai's first step toward securing the utility's top executive position.By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times Staff WriterOctober 6, 2007

The president of the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners resigned Friday, a move interpreted at City Hall as his first step toward securing the top executive job at the $4.2-billion municipal utility -- the nation's largest.

H. David Nahai, an attorney who lives in Benedict Canyon, submitted his resignation to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Within hours, two sources close to Villaraigosa described Nahai as the mayor's top pick to replace DWP General Manager Ron Deaton, who has been on medical leave since July.

Deaton, who earns nearly $345,000 a year, went on leave after suffering a heart arrhythmia during a trip abroad...and has been absent during a crucial time, with the agency coming under fire from City Council members after the recent heat wave caused power disruptions. Earlier this week, the agency agreed to pursue rate increases: 9% over two years for electricity and roughly 6% over two years for water.

What the LA Times doesn't mention in the article is that this guy Nahai, is Villaraigosa's "wining and dining" drinikng bud. And they sure do get inappropriately loud and boisterous at times, in restaurants, for all to hear (about their plans...like when ZD gets a little too boisterous about finding a six-pack of those little juicy-juice jugs for only a dollar at the grocery store.) But did the twos' loud and obnoxious drunken public behavior cause people to lose contracts? And why did someone just tell me to type "Suzanne Reyes" into my batcomputer shady-searchers?

A tentative contract agreement was reached by the city and six unions. About 22,000 employees are affected.

By Steve Hymon, Los Angeles Times Staff WriterOctober 5, 2007

About 22,000 Los Angeles city workers will receive raises of 14% to 25% over the next five years under a labor deal reached this week, a union spokesman said Thursday.

Six unions that represent about half the city's workforce agreed to the contract late Sunday, minutes before the previous contract was set to expire. Among the workers who will benefit are traffic officers, trash truck drivers, clerical workers, crossing guards, tree trimmers and many others in blue collar jobs.

City sources said that the total value of the deal over five years is about $200 million, with the brunt of the costs in the last three years. The contract still must be ratified by employees and approved by the City Council. Full latimes.com story

A sweet deal for city unionsBulk of workers would get 23% hike by end of pactBY BETH BARRETT, Staff WriterArticle Last Updated: 10/05/2007 01:26:50 AM PDT

Los Angeles officials and six unions have negotiated a contract that will give the bulk of the city's civilian work force up to a 23 percent pay hike at the end of five years, the Daily News has learned.

But ZumaTimes.com would like to add that, "when you add the numbers (correctly), it's 25% at least (based on the LA Times stats) -- and that's what my Bat-computer says, too.

I programmed my Batcomputer to let ZD know when the Daily News finally gets it right...but they are getting closer! They should keep checking back here for more info...AS IT DEVELOPS, HERE ON MAYOR SAM'S BLOG.

OH NO...WHO WAS THE ONLY PERSON GOING OUT ON A LIMB SAYING "25%" WHEN NEWSPAPERS AND COUNCILMEMBERS WERE SAYING, "13%-14%". IF YOU ONLY WANT HALF THE FACTS -- OR PARTIAL STATISTICS, TRY:

LA TIMES on Nunez' Jet-Set Lifestyle and Trips Paid With Private Money From William C. Velasquez Institute

Oh no...this is JUST the kind of story to get your blog hacked. Hope they don't have my new cell phone number.

Nuñez travels the world like a high-rollerThe leader of the Assembly spends tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds but refuses to provide details on his trips. He says the trips are 'not only justified but necessary.'

By Nancy Vogel, Los Angeles Times Staff WriterOctober 5, 2007

SACRAMENTO -- As leader of the California Assembly, Speaker Fabian Nuñez has traveled the world in luxury, paying with campaign funds for visits to some of the finest hotels and restaurants and for purchases at high-end retailers such as Louis Vuitton in Paris.

It is not clear how these activities have related to legislative business, as state law requires, because the Los Angeles Democrat refuses to provide details on tens of thousands of dollars in such expenditures.

Asked in an interview about his foreign travel in general, Nuñez said: "For me, it's a question of: Is my perspective on issues broad enough? Do I have enough context when I make decisions? This is a big state to run. You've got to know what you're doing. [L-M-F-A-O!!!]

Given a list of 99 entries culled from his campaign finance filings, however, Nuñez's staff refused to show how the expenditures were related to California government or politics. California law requires all campaign fund expenditures to be at least "reasonably" related to a political, legislative or governmental purpose.

The speaker's job pays $130,062 a year plus a tax-free $170 for expenses each day the Assembly is in session. "There's not too big a difference," he said, "between how I live and how most middle-class people live."

Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica called on Nuñez to explain his spending. "How much political, legislative and governmental work does Fabian Nuñez have to do in Barcelona?" Heller said. "If they're legitimate [expenditures], you've got to explain it."

The tax-exempt William C. Velasquez Institute, a policy think tank focused on Latino issues, paid $6,169 toward Nuñez's 2005 trip to France and Sweden to study universal preschool. The institute also helped finance Nuñez's trip to France in April to study high-speed rail, according to institute President Antonio Gonzalez.

[ZD: And Antonio Gonzalez makes no bones about his trip to Venezuela to meet with Hugo Chavez. Wonder if Gonzalez speaks to Nunez about the same things he speaks to Chavez about. Nah! Probably just talks about the Lakers and the Dodgers with Nunez.]

Stern is more disturbed by another kind of lawmakers' trip, bankrolled not by campaign funds but by a nonprofit group, which can legally pick up the tab for any amount or destination.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, for example, recently returned from a nine-day trip to Sweden and France to study universal preschools.

Núñez, D-Los Angeles, was a guest of the William C. Velasquez Institute, a nonpartisan group devoted to Latino voter empowerment.

Besides Núñez and three Assembly colleagues, the trip included Antonio Gonzalez, president of the institute...

Stern said such trips give a nonprofit group exclusive access to key legislators for extended periods of time, without being subject to spending limits.

"They say the best way to lobby legislators is to be on a private jet with them," Stern said. "Even if they want to leave, they can't. ... Like they say in the MasterCard ad: Priceless."

Wonder if any State officials went on this trip?

October 12, 2006

Dear WCVI Friends,

CLICK READ MORE

On behalf of the William C. Velásquez Institute (WCVI), I would like to invite you to join me in attending an Educational Seminar in Caracas, Venezuela. The seminar will entail seven days (6 nights) of activities and travel during November 26 to December 2, 2006. Venezuela's National Elections will take place on December 3, 2006. During our trip we will experience first hand how the country prepares for the electoral process. These elections are likely to have significant implications, not only for Venezuela, but for Latin America and the United States as well.

The seminar will include attending major events for various political campaigns, as well as participating in meetings with non-governmental organizations, government representatives, and political parties of diverse perspectives. In particular, this delegation will pay special attention to Venezuela's ongoing revolutionary and electoral processes.

The delegation to Venezuela is part of a leadership education initiative through WCVI's Intermestic Initiative program to expand civic participation in key international issues that have domestic implications. WCVI's travel seminars have taken some 450 prominent Latino community leaders and other professionals to Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Chile, South Africa, Cuba, France, and Sweden since 1987.

The total cost is $1,999 which includes a $250.00 non-refundable deposit to reserve your place. The cost of the trip includes round-trip airfare (from Los Angeles), 6 hotel-nights; transfers between airport and hotel; all program activities; translation (if necessary). Deposits are due ASAP. Full payment is due by November 3, 2006.

WCVI has been developing its leadership initiative on U.S. - Venezuela relations since 2003. WCVI has conducted leadership and other civil society-related activities in Latin America since 1987. To sign up and for more information please contact Celia Brugman or myself at (323) XXX-2217 or by emailing cbrugman@XXXX.org. Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your participation.Sincerely,

WCVI Venezuela Delegation will share their observations and community leaders/experts will discuss election results and their implications for Latin America and the United States Latino Community.

[Doesn't Villaraigosa/Nunez/DeLeon/Cedillo/et al, all roll with the WVCI's President Antonio Gonzales?]

STATE LEGISLATIVE TRAVEL LAWCalifornia requires lawmakers to disclose travel-related expenditures from their campaign accounts. Political contributions are private funds, but state law requires them to be used for a public purpose. Disclosures cover specific periods of time, ranging up to six months. They are available at the secretary of state's office or via the Web at www.ss.ca.gov. Abuse or extravagance can be difficult to identify because disclosure forms do not require politicians to:

* List the legislative, political or governmental purpose served by any trip.

* Identify which cities they visit or tie multiple expenditures to a specific date.

* State the flight destination for payments made to an airline.

* Identify whom a legislator met with or for what purpose when large payments are made to a restaurant, resort or other such venue.

CD 14 Constituent Dissatisfaction Thread Since They Are Stuck With WORST CM In LA City...JOSE HUIZAR

ALSO AT ZD's NC BLOG: Memo From Mayor Antonio Villaraiogsa To City Council Regarding "Modern Communications Tax" Ordinance for This February's Ballot. Council Consideration: New "Conflict of Interest" Code (What Conflict of Interest?) Plus, Styrofoam Ban In All City Departments Being Discussed Click here for NC blogAnd now...on with the countdown.

On American Top 40, I'm Casey Kasem. We're countin' down to top worst Councilmembers in the City of Los Angeles. And comin' in at #2, that was Councilmember Jack Weiss, of RecallJackWeiss.com.

And comin' in at #1, for the 87th week in a row...it's former LAUSD School Board President and CURRENT Council District 14 (East LA) Counclimember Jose "Weezy" Huizar. No exclamation point needed, since it comes as no surprise to anyone. Especially his constituents. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the fine folks of CD 14, ZD would probably know about 80% less, and his cell phone minutes would go down by about 80%. And he would be about 80% less cranky all the time, thinking of all the corruption that is robbing this district, and society, of it's soul and future. (Especially as it relates to the kids in the area.)

We all know how well LAUSD performed while he was school board president. The Inspector General's head would pop-off if he ever found out. No wonder they are trying so hard to keep it quiet. (And his boss, Mayor Antonio was willing to spend whatever it took, and make whatever promises, in his role as Mayor -- to keep it under wraps.)

But Jose was a good soldier, and they know he can be trusted (to be un-trustworthy), so they put him in the Council seat, to help keep Antonio's promises (that he made as CM) not only quiet...but fulfilled.

AND THAT'S WHERE EVERYTHING GOES SOUTH, REAL QUICK. AND IT'S NOT THE KINDA STUFF THAT YOU ARE GONNA WORK OUT AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL LEVEL. THE STUFF PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT ARE REALLY GRIPING ABOUT, REQUIRES THE ATTENTION OF THE D.A. AND U.S. ATTORNEY.

And who knows, we have all heard that has been exactly the case. (Oops, I shouldn't say "the case", I should say, "the situation". Or should I say, "the case"?)

Anyway, even Council President Eric Garcetti had to ask, on camera, during a public council meeting (on the record) as to the status of things happening in Huizar's district, relating to the LA Housing Authority, that WAS the subject of a D.A. investigation.

And when it comes to illegal vending, that will tank the L.A. economy and kill any chances local mom and pops have of making a buck, themselves -- no one can boast a larger illegal vending zone (north of Tijuana) than Councilmember Jose Huizar.

But as much as his constituents wish he would just evaporate out of his council seat, if you are a develeoper, or community development agency, or just about anyone with a lot of money (like a university) and need to clear away some historic buildings, protected trees, or the people themselves...then Councilmember Jose Huizar is YOUR go-to guy!

[Man, this is going to make me really uncomfortable next time we bump into each other at Club 702. But I think the people of CD 14 deserve some attention to be focused on their outrage. CAUSE ZD HEARS IT! AND THE FACT THAT IT'S 7am ON SUNDAY or 1am ON TUESDAY DOESN'T SEEM TO PREVENT COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO ZD!]

And Weezy has some pretty upscale constituents in his district. Eagle Rock is upscale. (That's where you can usually find him shopping and living, even though I think he offically lives somewhere else.) Plus over there by the Southwest Museum, and over where his boss Antonio lives. So Weezy has a real diverse district. From the high-income mansion owners, to the low-income renters. And although he can't seem to unite his staff (with a turn-over of 16 this year, so far) -- he does seem to be able to unite a diverse constituency -- TO RALLY AGAINST HIM -- AND PRESSURE ZD TO BLOG ABOUT IT. (Mayor Sam: Congratulations really are in order. These people seem to feel it doesn't matter until it hits your blog!)

I must suffer from Stockholm syndrome, cause I kinda like Weezy; cause he was friendly with ZD on-camera when I first burst into chambers. And I've seen him laugh hard at some of ZD's dry, sarcastic public comments (that only HE seemed to get on THAT side of the rope). And that went a long way. AND, I kinda feel sorry for the guy, cause he's kinda like the newest member of the gang, or low-man on the totem pole/rookie...and he has to live in Antonio's shadow, but more importantly, was/is stuck covering for Villaraigosa's past shadniess as CM. And Zuma Times has heard Villar left some mess for Jose to deal with. (He's still dealing with it.) And the pressure of walking around, knowing there are HUGE SHOES THAT CAN DROP AT ANYTIME (D.A. and Federal shoes...not ZD's), well...it must be hard to unwind. No wonder he is always yelling at his staff and treating them harshly. (A side-effect of living in fear.)

But, when Huizar supporters on this blog start posting things like, "live by the sword, die by the sword". And post the same irrelevant comments over and over on all the threads. I can see his "representative" on this blog is taking a step backward in diplomacy. So what do I care, anymore? Meanwhile, people across the city will be saying, "It's about time Zuma Dogg. We were wondering where you have been."

SO LET'S DO A CASEY KASEM COUNTDOWN OF THE #1 PROBLEM/ISSUE YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM AT THE SHADY MEAT HOOKS OF MAYOR ANTONIO'S "GO TO GUY" WHEN HE NEEDS TO STEAMROLL THE COMMUNITY, COUNCILMEMBER JOSE HUIZAR! (Post a comment) Like SW Museum, Elephant Hill, Illegal Vending, Wyvenwood, Trips to Flordia Superbowl Weekend?, Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, Overall Selling Out of The Community, please continue. (Maybe all the right people will post some stuff for all the right people to read.)

And finally, his new nickname should be "Tommy" cause he seems to be deaf, dumb and blind when it comes to dealing with problems. Or maybe it should be "Ironside", because he refuses to stand up for his district and his people.

ZD NC blog is back Longer posts (that I will link to here) and local community issues and updates).

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Kevin James (9p-11p) on AM 870 - KRLA has been RED HOT, lately. (Even more than usual.) He was hitting on all the issues familiar to Mayor Sam readers, and although I missed it, Big Joe told me he mentioned this blog, last night. So check him out in your car 9p-11p on AM 870, or more likely you will be at home, so check out the show online HERE. (And of course, y'all know about Doug on KABC, John & Ken on KFI & Mr. K on K-Talk (Air America, as everyone calls it to ZD.)

Zuma Times Says Daily News Got It Wrong on Union Hike Amount THEY SAY 13%..Zuma Times says more like 25%. ZT has better sources, though.

From dailynews.com: "The contract will now go before a union vote and then return to the council for final approval. Contract details were expected to remain secret until the first union meetings, tentatively set for Friday. But it is believed to be for at least a 13 percent increase over the life of the contract."

But Zuma Dogg of ZumaTimes.com says it will be more like 25% over five years. And we all know ZD’s sources are better than City Council’s.

And CM Janice Hahn: You gotta stop quoting your info from other less credible media sources like newspapers, and stick to Zuma Dogg's "Zuma Times". That way, Karen Sisson will not have to correct you on camera during the Council meetings. (Or Janice, you can just call me direct. (310) 928-7544.

Meanwhile, here's an audio version of the Daily News story for Antonio so he doesn't have to try and read it.

WHERE'S THE LAUSD "AUDIT COMMITTEE"? It seems to have been left off this year's committe listings. Must be a typo. And, is former LAUSD School Board Prez Jose Huizar School Board Prez again, calling shots to Rookie Prez Monica Garcia through Amy Cooper? Amy is short-term Huizar staffer who may have been groomed to help call shots between Huizar and Garcia. CLICK HERE

I haven't even dug myself out of the email avalanche of shadiness that was dumped in my zumadogg@gmail.com inbox from yesterday (and over the weekend), and when I woke up today, it was another blizzard of shadiness dumped upon the 15 districts. (Affecting the enitre county and region, if not country.)

So it's time to fire-up all the associated ZD blogs (zumatimes/neighborhoodcouncil/villaraigosa/etc.blogspot.com) -- and go with the flow. So I'll post updates here, but if you haven't done a "Google alert" for "zuma-dogg", and you want to see it all, make an alert now. And to all the people who have sent me info about NC shadiness and all the local community issues I have not been getting to...time to let the good times roll...I'm gonna be posting MORE stuff from the people (on these various blogs), because it DOES seem that Villar is on a desparate, acelerated shady-fast track to raise a lot of money (to cover the budget gap) -- and he's launching more non-profits out of his City Hall mayor office than Guidestar.

So I guess it's time to hold my Ultraman "beta capsule" in the air and proclaim...

CITIZENS' ALERT...CITIZEN'S ALERT!!! THIS IS NOT A TEST...THIS IS NOT A TEST...

Villaraigosa is on a taxing frenzy, a spending frenzy (when it comes to him), he's trying to take over the entire city via new non-profits "partnerships"...and the bond rating is about to bottom-out. (Simply on the realest, dough!)

LA TIMES: Mayor maneuvers to get phone tax on Feb. 5 ballot...Villaraigosa urges the council to declare an emergency

From latimes.com: Mayor maneuvers to get phone tax on Feb. 5 ballot

Villaraigosa urges the council to declare an emergencythe council to declare an emergency, which would allow a replacement tax to pass with a simple majority in the presidential primary election.

By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times Staff WriterOctober 2, 2007

Worried that an upcoming court ruling could wreak havoc on the city budget, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recommended Monday that the City Council declare the city will face an "emergency" if a court rules against the city and invalidates a $270-million telephone users utility tax.

The declaration would pave the way for the mayor and the council to put a replacement tax on the ballot as soon as Feb. 5 and -- perhaps more significantly -- lower the threshold needed to win passage of such a measure from two-thirds to a simple majority, lawyers for the city said.

[Purpose of tax is to preserve existing funds that are being targeted in three separate lawsuits.]

"Without question, the potential loss of $270 million to the city's general fund would present a significant damage to the health and safety of the city," said Villaraigosa spokesman Matt Szabo.

Last week, Villaraigosa's pollster, Washington, D.C.-based Feldman Group, concluded that the tax would perform slightly better in the presidential primary than in the June election.

City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo's office said a declaration of an emergency would provide another benefit: lowering the threshold needed for the measure to pass. Any telephone tax measure sent to the voters before 2009 would normally be considered a "special tax" and therefore need two-thirds approval, said Delgadillo spokesman Nick Velasquez. [ZD likes Nick, surprisingly!]

[THE BALL IS IN COUNCIL'S COURT: IT'S UP TO THOSE SHADY, SPINELESS NON-LEADERS TO UNANIMOUSLY STATE THAT IT IS AN EMERGENCY. And we know there isn't one independent spine of the fifteen gravy-train riders.]

"As usual, they're not so much looking at doing what's right, but doing what they can get away with," said Kris Vosburgh, executive director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Assn.

THIS WILL BE THE SECOND VILLARAIGOSA BALLOT MEASURE/STRAW THAT'S ABOUT TO BREAK THE COMMUNITY'S BACK:

The behind-the-scenes tax discussions come less than two weeks after the council asked Delgadillo to draft language for a February ballot measure hiking property taxes by $30 million to fund anti-gang programs.

BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE! BUY A HOME IN LOS ANGELES NOW, AND AS AN ADDED BONUS:

Meanwhile, Villaraigosa's appointees at the Department of Water and Power are scheduled to meet today to discuss a trio of electrical rate hikes -- 2.9% on Jan. 1, another 2.9% on July 1 and 2.7% on July 1, 2009. The Board of Water and Power is also reviewing two proposed water rate hikes -- 3.1% on July 1 and another 3.1% on July 1, 2009.

Meanwhile, taxpayer watchdogs say they may recommend that voters oppose the proposed tax. "We are just perpetuating this incompetent management of the city if we give them more money," Vosburgh said.FULL LA TIMES ARTICLE

zumadogg@gmail.com

EAA is organizing to unionize currently "at will" city employees, including council aides and analysts. Ballots are already out.

First, a little joke for the little people childrens. (Aka: Featured Comment)

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?

A: Because Mayor V was trying to start another front-end loaded non-profit organization to help unionize the gang members and illegal street vendors who want to work at DWP planting a million trees which Bradley from Glassell Park is hiding under the skirt of Mirthala Salinas, but the shady city council wants more shadiness at city hall to hide the money Eli Broad is using to build expensive big buildings with no low rent apartments for Zuma Dogg.

AND NOW...ON WITH THE COUNTDOWN!

Is the EAA about to be all up in the mix, again? (If they make a movie about ZD, I want Bob to play ZD!)

Why is City Hall's anti-union activity not being reported and exposed in Los Angeles? Why is the union not exposing what is going on downtown? Do they know who is running the shill organizations? Who controls who?

The Engineers and Architects Association is organizing to unionize currently "at will" city employees, including council aides and analysts. Ballots are already out.

But the real story is that in response to the EAA's filing for representation of these employees, city management created organizations (Fiscal and Policy Professionals Association, Association of Legislative Professionals, Association of Legislative Analysts, etc.) in hopes of splitting the pro-union vote so there would be no union winner.

MEDIA ALERT: Help Save Zuma Dogg From Villaraigosa's "Avalanche of Shadiness" That Buried Him With Emails From Outraged Citizens

To be honest...I've been trying to chill-out and focus on some other activities in the ZAP (Zuma'a Activist Program), but I just checked my email, and there was an un-expected "Avalanche of Shadiness" that piled into my inbox. So I gotta put my A.D.D. in check and dump some of it on Antonio's head, since it's all his big f*cking shady mess, anyway. (Either ZD is getting a lot more popular; or Vilaraigosa is getting a lot more UN-POPULAR. Cause the sh*t-storm is piling up in my email inbox, more than ever. And I'm not getting paid like an LA Times or Daily News reporters.)PUBLIC NOTICE: IF ANY NEWSPAPER, TV OR RADIO REPORTERS WANT ANY/ALL OF THE LEADS/STORIES I'M NOT GOING TO BE GETTING TO...CALL (310) 928-7544 and leave a message (I'll keep it anonymous), or email zumadogg@gmail.com. MY DILLEMA: Each day I get more info to follow-up and post than I can deal with. (And I wanna shift gears and commit to something other than unpaid blogging for 16 hours a day.)

I'm not walking away...and it seems like I've been pretty active the past couple of weeks...but the big stuff, is too much effort, so I just wait till it shows up elsewhere. Unfortunatley, sometimes that's months -- or a year later. And this is important stuff. I don't care who publishes it. I can't get to it all. If there are people getting paid to do this stuff (journalists) -- and they can do something with all this info...holla at ya boy. The people who pressure me/keep feeding me top level info that they know I cannot walk away from, will be almost as happy to see it show up in a newspaper. AND AGAIN, the current Mayor is so shady, there's an avalanche of leads and stories to pursue. WHATEVER IT TAKES TO EXPOSE THIS POLITICAL THUG -- MAKE THE COMMUNITY AWARE -- AND CAUSE THE WIDESPREAD PUBLIC OUTRAGE THAT WILL CAUSE THE REVOLUTION NEEDED TO SAVE HIS OWN PEOPLE FROM THIS DISGRACEFUL AND ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR.

AND NOW...TO HELP SUPPORT MY BLOGGING EFFORTS, HERE ON MAYOR SAM...I'M RUNNING THIS CLASSIFIED AD. (Skip it if you don't wanna read it!)

ZUMADOGG@GMAIL.COM

FOR RENT

This 11,629 square foot 1902 Craftsman Home features 10 bedrooms, 9 baths, a basement, two laundry rooms, an entertainer's kitchen, a large reception room, parlour, and family room. The dining room easily seats 12 with room to spare. Includes service entry and service stairs to all three floors. It sits on a lushly landscaped 44,000+ square foot flat lot with large pool, guest house, three car garage, carports, and several stately lawns.

ZD hears this 210 Freeway vs Pasedena Homeowners is the kind of thing Congressmembers can lose their seats over. So is it billions of dollars no one has for underground tunnels...or do some congressmembers lose their jobs when these Pasadena Millioniares lose their homes. This ain't East L.A., y'all. These Homeowners have the dollar bill to make the kill, y'all!!! And who do you think is linked to the shady side? Why do you think they call him Mayor Shadiragosa?

To be honest...I've been trying to chill-out and focus on some other activities in the ZAP (Zuma'a Activist Program), but I just checked my email, and there was an un-expected "Avalanche of Shadiness" that piled into my inbox. So I gotta put my A.D.D. in check and dump some of it on Antonio's head, since it's all his big f*cking shady mess, anyway. (Either ZD is getting a lot more popular; or Vilaraigosa is getting a lot more UN-POPULAR. Cause the sh*t-storm is piling up in my email inbox, more than ever. And I'm not getting paid like an LA Times or Daily News reporters.)PUBLIC NOTICE: IF ANY NEWSPAPER, TV OR RADIO REPORTERS WANT ANY/ALL OF THE LEADS/STORIES I'M NOT GOING TO BE GETTING TO...CALL (310) 928-7544 and leave a message (I'll keep it anonymous), or email zumadogg@gmail.com. MY DILLEMA: Each day I get more info to follow-up and post than I can deal with. (And I wanna shift gears and commit to something other than unpaid blogging for 16 hours a day.)

I'm not walking away...and it seems like I've been pretty active the past couple of weeks...but the big stuff, is too much effort, so I just wait till it shows up elsewhere. Unfortunatley, sometimes that's months -- or a year later. And this is important stuff. I don't care who publishes it. I can't get to it all. If there are people getting paid to do this stuff (journalists) -- and they can do something with all this info...holla at ya boy. The people who pressure me/keep feeding me top level info that they know I cannot walk away from, will be almost as happy to see it show up in a newspaper. AND AGAIN, the current Mayor is so shady, there's an avalanche of leads and stories to pursue. WHATEVER IT TAKES TO EXPOSE THIS POLITICAL THUG -- MAKE THE COMMUNITY AWARE -- AND CAUSE THE WIDESPREAD PUBLIC OUTRAGE THAT WILL CAUSE THE REVOLUTION NEEDED TO SAVE HIS OWN PEOPLE FROM THIS DISGRACEFUL AND ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR.

AND NOW...TO HELP SUPPORT MY BLOGGING EFFORTS, HERE ON MAYOR SAM...I'M RUNNING THIS CLASSIFIED AD. (Skip it if you don't wanna read it!)

ZUMADOGG@GMAIL.COM

FOR RENT

This 11,629 square foot 1902 Craftsman Home features 10 bedrooms, 9 baths, a basement, two laundry rooms, an entertainer's kitchen, a large reception room, parlour, and family room. The dining room easily seats 12 with room to spare. Includes service entry and service stairs to all three floors. It sits on a lushly landscaped 44,000+ square foot flat lot with large pool, guest house, three car garage, carports, and several stately lawns.

ZD hears this 210 Freeway vs Pasedena Homeowners is the kind of thing Congressmembers can lose their seats over. So is it billions of dollars no one has for underground tunnels...or do some congressmembers lose their jobs when these Pasadena Millioniares lose their homes. This ain't East L.A., y'all. These Homeowners have the dollar bill to make the kill, y'all!!! And who do you think is linked to the shady side? Why do you think they call him Mayor Shadiragosa?

DWP To Get Into Education Biz With Villaraigosa Via ANOTHER NON-PROFIT Partnership

Oh no...here we go again: Taking a good idea (and I think this COULD be a GREAT one), and shadying it up with the creation of A-NOTHER VILLARAIGOSA NON-PROFIT "PARTNERSHIP".

Shadyrosa already has his LAUSD/education non-profit ready to fund raise and promise the sky(scraper) to those who donate to his "charity"; so it's the Kings of Education, An-TONE-yo and DWP to do the job that LAUSD couldn't do, or didn't feel like doing. (Maybe LAUSD can help fix downed powerlines.)

AGAIN...to be honest, I love this idea, conceptually. And I know even saying that much will get me in trouble with mi amigos.

BUT DON'T WORRY FELLOW ZD ACTIVISTS...If it says, "Smuckers", it has to be good. And if it says, "Villaraigosa NON-PROFIT", it has to be shady. AND EXCUSE ME...I DIDN'T KNOW THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WAS A NON-PROFIT HEADQUARTERS TO "LAUNCH" YOUR RACKET OUT OF?!?!? How about using it to lauch a investigation into the misuse of public money through shady non-profits. (Oh yeah, the fifth amendment...that would incriminate you.)

From DWP website:

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa launched The Los Angeles Infrastructure Academy, an education and career-training program to train LAUSD students for meaningful, well-paying careers in the public utilities.

The "LA Infrastructure Academy" will be structured as a non-profit organization launched out of the Mayor's Office, in partnership with the LADWP; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18; LA Trade Technical College; California State University at Los Angeles, College of Engineering; and LAUSD.

"Today we are targeting hard-working students in our most gang-ridden areas, and we are offering them a pathway into high-paying jobs,", Mayor Villaraigosa said.

CLICK READ MORE

The DWP Board of Commissioners awarded the Academy $1.5 million in initial funding, which will contribute to the Academy's estimated $7 million budget through 2010. The Durfee Foundation provided initial seed funding for the Academy, and additional funding will come from the program's partners, state-after-school funds and the philanthropic community.

Open to high school juniors and seniors, the Academy will offer its students:

* Intensive math and English tutoring

* Industry-oriented college courses

* Hands-on technical trainging

* One-on-one mentoring with an industry veteran and an AmeriCorps volunteer

* Paid summer internships

* Support through every step of the job application process

Maybe DWP can add a new "gang-infested area training and education fee"

While initially drawing students from four schools in South Los Angeles - Jefferson, Manual Arts and Santee high schools and The Accelerated School - the Academy has the potential to rapidly expand throughout Los Angeles.

Mayor Villaraigosa has designed the Academy to address two problems, including the rising drop-out and declining graduation rates faced by LAUSD, and the staffing shortfalls that jeopardize the ability of the LADWP to maintain and upgrade its aging infrastructure.

"The Infrastructure Academy is an initiative that is both noble and practical, meeting the fundamental needs of the City, DWP, the students who will benefit from the program, and the underserved communities who be able to see progress," David Nahai, President of the LADWP Board of Commissioners.

In January, Mayor Villaraigosa pledged to redesign and expand career-orientated technical training when he released "The Schoolhouse," a detailed policy framework for improving schools in Los Angeles.

A national survey of high school drop-outs funded by the Gates Foundation found that 81% of drop-outs said that they wanted to see a connection between school and work.

"The truth is that, while we struggle to find the qualified workers we need to keep this City running, half of our local talent pool drops out of before graduation," Mayor Villaraigosa said.

"This Academy is about catching these potential stars, and filling our ranks with talent that we groom from the minor leagues."

The LA Infrastructure Academy will be structured as a non-profit organization launched out of the Mayor's Office, in partnership with the LADWP; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18; LA Trade Technical College; California State University at Los Angeles, College of Engineering; and LAUSD.

Villaraigosa's "blind-eye" to expanding illegal vending happening all over the city (from Huizar's East LA to Rosendahl's West LA) is increasingly pissing people off as it continues to increase all over the place. I know some folks feel this is a "compassionate eye-turning" (allowing low-income residents to both make some money -- and alllows the low-income shoppers to save a buck, too. No harm, no foul, right? They're not hurting anything, right? WRONG! (See video)

AND SPEAKING OF VENDING...LET'S SHOW HOW MUCH EFFORT THE CITY IS PUTTING INTO TRYING TO SHUT-DOWN LEGAL VENDING THAT THE CITY ACTUALLY SOLD PERMITS FOR. (UNFORTUNATLEY THE LAW IS ON HUNT/DOWD'S SIDE IN THIS CASE, WHICH IS WHY THE MEETING WENT THIS WAY/CITY OFFICIAL LOSES IT!!!)

Hey Dumbassaraigosa: Why not try putting as much effort into ILLEGAL vending as you do LEGAL vending.

We got an education in math by going through LAUSD administrators' credit card statements. We found they were spending money. Lots and lots of money. Sometimes, $5 million a month, raising some serious questions.

Just think of your one- or two-page credit card statement at home, then multiply that by 1,700! That’s how many credit cards there are at LAUSD. Administrators spend it on computers, coffee, flowers, just about anything. We went through all these reports and found some interesting items.

$451 at the Sharper Image. $796 in yoga classes. $320 at this day spa in Valley Village. Over $1,600 on a company that sells U.S. Postal Service clothes and accessories. All taxpayers money. All questionable charges, according to the district’s inspector general.

''All of those would be violations of the procurement card use, some of them fraudulent.''

The inspector general's conducted an audit earlier this year and estimated $4 to 5 million dollars in fraud of misuse, including charges for electronics and computers that couldn’t be justified.

Often we couldn't find the merchandise when we went to look for it.

There were charges to collection agencies. Money transfers to Mexico. Even a cruise to San Francisco. Plus thousands of dollars in movie tickets and sporting events. Even if it was used for students, it's misuse of the card.

ZD: Um...EXCUSE ME, SOMEONE JUST CALLED MY CELL PHONE AND SAID THEY HEARD ON THE RADIO THEY REPORTED THESE CREDIT CARDS WERE ALSO USED FOR "MASSAGE PARLORS"!!!]

But the district’s business manager defends the program. “There is abuse in any system and we take a look at where we can find abuses and we correct policy as it needs to be corrected.” [WRONG ANSWER! YOU CANNOT WIN DEFENDING THIS BY SAYING, "THERE IS ABUSE IN ANY SYSTEM"! You are still in the denial and minimization stage. Even the mayor's people could have spun that better.]

VILLARAIGOSA: The City IS Bankrupt Under Your Non-Leadership; START Worrying About ILLEGAL Street Vending!

FEATURED COMMENT:Los Angeles IS Bankrupt and now they want to increase the taxes on the LEGAL half of the city while the Illegal Alien half continue to benefit? Thank You Tony Villar(alias). We Need a New Mayor, a REAL Mayor.

Hey Villaraza...you're so worried about the licenced/legal vending on Venice Beach?Why not look in your own backyard and start worrying about the illegal street vending going on all over Northern Mexico, CA. (Aka: Los Angeles, CA under YOUR non-leadership.)

YOU WANNA TAX AND FEE HIKE THE HELL OUT OF THE LEGAL U.S. CITIZENS? WHY DON'T YOU START ACTING LIKE ONE, AND DO WHAT ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL WOULD DO...START ACTING LIKE A U.S. CITIZEN, YOURSELF (I know it will be hard for you) AND PUT AN END TO THE LOSS OF REVENUE CAUSED BY YOUR NEGLIGENCE?!?!

How are store owners supposed to make money, and pay the city taxes and all the other fee hikes you are imposing, when illegal street vendors set up shop on the sidewalks and doorways infront of these stores.

AND THIS ISN'T ABOUT VENICE BEACH VENDING! The City issues lifetime permits for this type of vending - and it is COMPLETELY LEGAL. LET'S SEE THE PERMITS OF THE TIJUANA FLEA MARKET THAT IS THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN/EAST L.A.

DON'T YOU DARE CREATE ONE MORE FEE...OR CREATE ONE MORE ILLEGAL TAX...OR FORCE DWP TO MAKE ONE MORE RATE HIKE UNTIL YOU BECOME THE MAN YOU REFUSE TO BECOME -- ASSUME THE LEADERSHIP ROLE YOU TOOK ON WHEN YOU DECIDED TO BECOME ELI BROAD & RICHARD RIORDAN'S BITCH PUPPET...AND STOP LETTING DOWN EVERYONE WHO YOU ENCOUNTER.

I wish we could create an ordinace that would allow the entire City to show up at City Hall, drag your ass out of City Hall, and dump you on the side of the border you are MOST comfortable with.

Hey Eli...I'm sure you now realize you've made a BIG mistake. It's not your fault. Villaraza is charming and deceptive, just like the devil. So I hope you can find a couple other horses to back next election.

P.S. This guy Villar thinks the community is gonna let him be in charge of kids and schools? LOL! It'll NEVER happen. MARK MY WORDS...VILLAR IS NOT GOING TO GET WHAT HE WANTS ON THIS SCHOOL CLUSTER. (Only cluster f*cked!)

zumadogg@gmail.com

Is Villaraigosa Going To Sell-Off/Sell-Out His Own Backyard Community To USC To Help Raise Cash For HIS Shadiness?

A good source of mine, a while ago warned me...Watch for Antonio to start selling off parts of the city land (property) to help raise cash.

And now, a few things hit me recently (like right now), so it's time for a public vetting. Here's what I find ponderous...f-ing PONDEROUS!

a) my source's warning as mentioned above.

b) City is facing crushing budget problems.

c) Continues to create new and ingenious ways to shake down business and residents to help solve the problem.

d) USC/HAZARD PARK BAMBOOZLE ATTEMPT BY CD 14 COUNCILMEMBER JOSE HUIZAR AND LA CITY MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA TO SELL OFF THE LAND AND THE COMMUNITY TO USC, TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK!

Some people just called me to aks if I knew how they could order a bunch of those "SHAME ON YOU ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA" banners, and hang them all over Hazard Park for your shady attempts to sell off the park -- AND the low-income housing projects in the area to appease your kiss-ass partners in crime: USC. (I hope they lose every game until we have a new Mayor!) Here's why:

At the Million Trees L.A., Mr. "I Grew Up Around This Park" Mayor Antonio, who said how much it meant to him and the community growing up; now appears to be trying to sell that, AND THE HOUSING PROJECTS IN THE AREA to USC for more USC housing and hospital expansion. So basically, I guess you won't need the park anyway, cause there won't be a community there anymore.

What ZD finds "ponderous", f*cking "ponderous", is why was Hazard Park magically moved into the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council district, when the park is clearly used by the Boyle Heights, El Sereno community. Oh I know why...

Maybe because DAVID GALABIZ is PRESIDENT of LINCOLN HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL...(hum-de-dum-dee-dum)...

AND -- Mr. USC COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFICIAL! (NOT TOO SHADY!!!)

AND SOMETHING ELSE THAT CLICKED IN NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT:

I'm too lazy to go back and pull the story, but a few months ago, City Council approved some bullsh*t Eminent Domain bullsh*t -- and the one thing I took away from it; was how the East Adelante area was REALLY, REALLY getting screwed, FAR BEYOND THE REST OF LOS ANGELES. If you go to the lacity.org website, and look at the ordinance -- and see how E. Adelante compares to the rest of the City...it basically says, "The CRA can knock on your door and take your house if they f*cking feel like it."

So THAT'S in the USC area we are talking about.

We all know Villaraigosa and Huizar were trying to sell-out the community, I mean sell Ramona Gardens to USC for a quick buck. And of course, if there is shadiness to be had, you can bet the LA Housing Authority was involved. (ZD will be taking care of THAT on his own. RIGHT RD?!?!) But the community kinda had something to say about it...so they kinda backed off, perhaps, for now.

And basically, the whole community is up in arms in Hazard Park. Antonio's own backyard that he speaks about with such affection, publicly. While he's trying to unload it to USC behind their back.

So thanks to the different people in CD 14 who created this ONE thread. (ZD just typed up three or four different people's conversation into one.)

Bottom Line: There is constituent concern that Antonio will be selling and selling-out his own backyard, Hazard Park because the City needs money; and USC wants to build their own housing and hospital. (USC Expansion)

Only thing in the way...The heritage. The diversity. The community. The people.

Call 3-1-1 and tell them you wanna tell the mayor exactly what you think about this...AND THE DWP RATE INCREASE...AND THE ILLEGAL VENDING IN THE CITY THAT IS QUICKLY BECOMING A MAJOR ECONOMIC ISSUE. THAT'S 3-1-1, and ask for "the mayor's office."

Oh no...Mayor Sam, himself, was mentioning to me the possibility (chatter) of a "City Income Tax". But, a city "income tax" would be illegal. (Not that it has ever stopped Villar/Council.) However, with people like Richard Alatorre as Mayor Villaraigosa's "consultant" -- and the City being "just a little short" on the annual budget (by about $300 million), ZD put on his "shady thinking cap" to try and predict some of the "loopholes" these shady f*cks can come up for some new and creative ways to drive more business away from the region. (HEY ZEV...time to challenge Alatorre and his puppet Villargrossa for STAFF CUTS...NOT NEW SHADY TAXES!!!)

We already got: Trash Collection, Bulky Item, Solid Waste (and whatever else). But since the law does not allow for a "City Income Tax" --

HOW ABOUT AN "OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE FEE"!?!?! (Hey! It's NOT an "income tax"...it's merely an "occupational fee"!)

ALRIGHT KIDDIES...NOT TO BLOW THE WHOLE WAD ON THIS ONE THREAD...But if any media outlets (radio or newspapers) want more info...ZD has the story/what to expect.

(Laugh now...but you won't be laughing if ZD ends up giving this story to your competition.) AND REMEMBER...YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, AND IT'S TOO LATE TO HEAR IT FIRST ANYWHERE ELSE. ("OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE FEE") More to come...

AND OH YEAH...LAObserved has a real important story on some lost Beatles memorabilia from 1963 if that is important to you. PLUS, a whole bunch of other less substantive fluff. So if you want a Beatles lost memorabilia story, try Roderdick's LAObserved. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THE NEW CITY INCOME TAX SCHEME, DWP SHADY-FASTBALL RATE INCREASE (and DWP'S ILLEGAL payment to the City), $300 CITY BUDGET GAP, JANICE HAHN'S "GANG TAX" FOR PROPERTY OWNERS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING SCAM, NON-PROFIT RACKETEERING -- AND OTHER ISSUES LESS IMPORTANT THAN 1963 BEATLES MEMORABILIA...IT'LL BE POSTED HERE ON MAYOR SAM'S BLOG.

MEANWHILE: Richard Alatorre is the Ken Lay of LA City...and Los Angeles is the ENRON of City Municipalities. DO NOT INVEST IN LA UNLESS YOU NEED A HUGE TAX WRITE OFF...THE CITY'S BOND RATING IS GOING TO BOTTOM OUT. (It's tied into LAUSD. Would YOU want your financial rating tied to LAUSD?)

Hey Villaraigosa...Are You Willing To Go On Record And Dispute Zuma Dogg's Concern That You Are Going To Create A New "City Income Tax"

Look to the past, to see the future. Especially when the past and present includes Villaraza "consultant" Richard Alatorre.

Zuma Dogg was pondering on some very excellent chronic...if the City is $300 million short on this year's budget...where is the money for the “to be announced” salary increases for the City unions? (And all the other problems a $300 million budget "DOH" will cause.)

So ZD had to dig up an old document from 1993 someone sent me, which cites a proposal for a payroll tax on all people who work in the City of Los Angeles. It doesn't specify taxing just City employees, but EVERYONE who work within the city limits. This would probably include Federal, State, City, and County employees. It would also include all employees working for companies in the private sector (such as banking, service industries, fast food, construction, education, small employers, et al).

In '93, City Council approved the tax, but it was dropped due to intense negative constituent reaction.

Villaraza and the present Shitty Council are not the first to re-name taxes as “fees”. This “name change” was actually thought of in '93, while Council was considering a city income tax. The ‘93 Council was thinking of renaming the city income tax as an "occupational license fee." (LOL!) According to the document I am referring to, the same idea for a city income tax had been considered before by the City Councils of 1983 and 1991.

But now, we have a bunch of no-scruples, corrupt, organized-crime-like politicians running the City. (See Villaraigosa, Alatorre, Delgadilldo, City Council, et al) – and they don’t give a F*CK.

CURRENT LA CITY STRATEGY: Take as much money out of the city coffers as possible until it’s all about to cave in like an “Enron House of Cards” – then just think of every and any tax, fee, hike, bond – for any and everything to help make up the difference. Who cares about tomorrow…you’ll be on to the next elected position, and it will be too late.

CITIZENS’ ALERT!!! CITIZENS’ ALERT!!! THIS IS NOT A TEST!!! THIS IS NOT A TEST!!!

We all know about the DWP rate increase coming down the pike. (Which is necessary because they are grossly inefficient – and has a HUGE illegal payment/money transfer to make to the City of Los Angeles.)

BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH: $300 million short, is $300 million short…so let’s look to the past, for the future…

A payroll tax on all people who work in the City of Los Angeles was among the suggestions discussed in ‘93 at a meeting of the City Council's Ad Hoc Committee on the Budget Crisis they were experiencing at the time.

"How many more libraries do we have to close? How many more parks, before we go after what none of us wants to talk about -- police, fire and refuse?" said (then) Councilmember Richard Alatorre, who later proposed the committee consider a "gross receipts" payroll tax to balance the budget. [How about just making one, big huge tax called a "shakedown tax"...I mean "fee".]

But a city "income tax" would be illegal, so let’s call it an "occupational license fee". (Which experts say has essentially the same effect.) It would tax…I mean “not tax”, but fee (to death) the income of the individual employee.

The idea has been discussed in Los Angeles before – but was dropped because of intense negative constituent reaction.

Previously, the City came to it’s senses and realized this (not-a-tax) “fee” would drive business out of Los Angeles, California, and it would be tough to attract/recruit employees from competing cities. (What does Villaraigosa and his crew care about that? That’ll be the next guy’s problem. Meanwhile, he’ll have already deposited and cashed all the checks and received all the gifts. Maybe he can take all his shady riches and move to Mexico! Judging by the way he runs THIS City…he must LOVE Mexico! (See “Illegal Vending” spreading all over the damn City!)

(Then) Committee Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky urged committee members to look hard at major city staff cuts, saying "the longer we wait, the more Draconian the measures will be."

"Cuts have been made. We have less employees. That is real," countered then Councilmember (and current Villaraza “consultant” and Mayoral thinker, since the mayor can’t) Richard Alatorre.

"It's real, but it's not enough," Yaroslavsky shot back.

The committee even consider whether to close down all or part of the Community Redevelopment Agency, returning its tax increment to the general tax rolls, to be divided among the city, the county and local schools. [ZUMA DOGG SAYS THAT’S THE BEST IDEA HE HAS EVER HEARD! Of course they didn’t do it.]

COMING NEXT: Suggestions on how to close the budget deficit. (Besides physically dragging the Mayor out of city hall and dumping him on the other side of the border.)

HERE'S A PREVIEW: NO MORE SPECIAL EVENT FEE WAIVERS! NO MORE SPECIAL EVENT FEE WAIVERS! NO MORE SPECIAL EVENT FEE WAIVERS!

zumadogg@gmail.com

LA Times & Zuma Times Each Have Stories Today About SHADY Charters/Non-Profits

Huh...huh...huh...I TOLD yo azzes these (warm and fuzzy) non-profits are the shadiest racket in town. LA Times has a story about, "a Highland Park charter school facing allegations of financial impropriety, gross mismanagement and academic shortcomings from a group of former employees and parents who formerly enrolled their children at the school." LAT on Shady Charter

But here's a REAL bombshell for Mayor Sam's Sister City readers that you WILL NOT read anywhere else, unless they pick it up off this blog. (Which I sure as hell hope they do!) In other words...MAYOR SAM EXCLUSIVE AND CITIZENS' ALERT REGARDING THE FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE OF YOUR PUBLIC MONEY THROUGH THIS NON-PROFIT RACKET. (As in "Racketeering" -- and ZD says that's what this whole non-profit scam is, too much of the time!)

Shadiest of NON-PROFIT Charter School and (Cahoots Partner) After School Program Fire Employee After He Refuses To FORGE Attendance Signatures To Help Hit The Quota (It Wasn’t Even Close!)By Zuma DoggStaff Writer, Zuma Times and Mayor Sam's Blog

Here’s the story as it was told to Zuma Dogg by someone who contacted Mayor Sam. (Thanks to Mayor Sam for assigning me the story, since it was in-line with my previous stories on these shady-as-hell, non-profit rackets.)

Randy was working for Woodcraft Rangers, an “after school” (non-profit) program that has been in existence for over fifty years. (www.woodcraftrangers.org.)

In addition to the 30 hours he was working at Woodcraft, as “side project coordinator”, he was also assigned 10 hours a week at CityLife Charter. (Both located in Downtown L.A.)

Randy told ZD that in his view the person who ran the Charter (Jackie Breger, President/CEO.), “Ran it like a (autocrat)”. She wanted it HER way.” And as you will find, “HER” way is not necessarily the way the State wanted it. Maybe that’s why they ended up losing their grant money and are now closed. (“Autocrat” is less offensive than the actual word used, ”dictator”.)

For example, everyone knows Charters are not private schools and are supposed to be “open enrollments”.

However, at least one employee for CityLife was allegedly TOLD which students to accept first (handed a list) – and any slots left over could be used for anyone else (open enrollment). (Well…isn’t THAT considerate!)

But after being allegedly pressured by Jackie of CityLife (Charter) and Randy’s supervisor at Woodcraft (After School Program) to make up attendance signatures (since they were far short of the required 60 per day, in order to receive the public grant money); Randy says he was fired from both jobs.

So why was Jackie (of the Charter school) reportedly pressuring her employee to illegally forge signatures for someone else’s after school program? Jackie’s CityLife was getting money for her students’ after school program. But since CityLife didn’t have an after school program, the kids and program were being “sub-contracted” out to Woodcraft. So both were apparently getting money!!! (A win-win!)

THE WHOLE ENCHILADA, FROM THE TOP (02/07-04/07)

CLICK READ MORE

He claims to have had many conversations with Jackie where he says he was told, “If you make them up…you make them up.” (Signatures for the after school Woodcraft after school program.)

Jackie allegedly told Randy that she was making an after school program and that, “at first we may have to make up some signatures.”

Randy said, “I can’t do that. That’s not what I do.”

(And even though he was scheduled for 10 hours a week at CityLife, he really didn’t do anything there, and spent most of the hours at Woodcraft. So that’s a waste of public non-profit money, too.)

After he refused to make up signatures for the new after school program, he claims he was switched to another school in which to recruit kids for Woodcraft.

HOW THIS BECAME RANDY’S PROBLEM OUT OF NOWHERE

Randy says that when he first took the position he became suspicious the previous guy (previous side project coordinator) was allegedly making up a majority of the required attendance signatures. (The projects are paid by attendance – and if they are getting less than 60 signatures, they lose the grant money.)

When Randy took over, he was told there we 60 kids, per day. However, as soon as Randy took over, he was noticing only about 20 kids, per day. (And he says it was usually LESS than 20.)

Truth, as it was told to ZD, is that the kids didn’t like the previous guy (who Randy was brought in to replace), and that’s why the attendance was ESPECIALLY low.

Randy went to “Joe”, a site-coordinator and said, “Hey, there are far from 60 kids.” (There are supposed to be at least 12 kids per adult. With far less kids showing up, the government and the community isn’t getting their money’s worth – and nothing gets accomplished.)

Tracy Mostovoy (Boss of Woodcraft), is also the sister of the Woodcraft CEO, Cathie Mostovoy. So Randy wanted to bring it up to Tracy, in advance, so it wouldn’t reflect badly upon him (appearing as it immediately dropped below 20 as soon as he took over).

In 2005, Cathie reportedly took a salary of $122,692 as CEO. (For that amount of money, she should be doing the outreach, herself – instead of turning a blind eye while her employees forged signatures and de-fraud the community and U.S. government out of public grant money. (AND EVEN WORSE – KIDS AREN’T GETTING THE ATTENTION AND HELP THEY NEED – AND THE PROBLEM WORSENS ON OUR STREETS AND IN OUR SOCIETY. (In case you were wondering why I give a sh*t!)

Tracy said that she would look into it. But nothing ever happened.

Before the summer break, Randy went to the Program Director (“Joe”) and asked what the plans were for the summer.

But, although Randy was able to actually boost the numbers up to 40 (in reality, without forging), he still felt he was under pressure/duress to keep the numbers at 60. [Says he got the numbers up to 40 with a soccer program, and more outreach on his own. Plus, going to other programs that need kids for the numbers – and sharing students/cross promoting programs (which is cool). But it was STILL tough to even sustain that.]

He was asked about the low numbers and had to inform Joe (his director) about the past problem, where the other guy was making them up to hit the mandatory quotas. (Deming HATED quotas for this EXACT reason.)

Two weeks later, Tracy fired Randy. He was told he was a really nice guy, and that they wanted to keep him in the company, and that they still wanted him to be there…but he needed to submit his resume for further consideration in another area. (Like an area that doesn’t require him to forge signatures.) He submitted (because at the time he didn’t realize it was a big bamboozle) – and, of course, he’s still waiting by the phone for the promotion.

Meanwhile, Randy has re-bounded and found a “bright” non-profit (not shady) and is doing good, good work.

MORE TO COME…Featuring Zuma Dogg’s new “SUPER-PREMIUM Shady Searchers”. (Well test it out on this story, then focus it on bigger and shadier fish.)

I GUESS VILLARAIGOSA, DELGADILLDO AND CITY COUNCIL ARE LIKE MOBSTERS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT!?!?!...Not to take anything away from them.

Thanks to Paul Moyer and KNBC-4 for calling the activities of 7 Councilmembers, Villaraigosa and Rocky Delgadilldo "SHADY"! (Even if he didn't say they were "Shady as F*CK!")

NBC/Universal said..."Though City Ethics Commission has spared recipients of laundered funds, the state's watchdog agency tells us in a written statement that it is "reviewing older unresolved cases and the issue (of pursuing recipient-politicians)... is still on our radar.

Legal records and press coverage of recent money laundering cases have repeatedly mentioned (these) politicians by name -- giving them all fair warning that dirty money flowed into their campaigns: Among current LA office holders, Mayor Villaraigoa has collected $4,000 in such funds since 2000, Rocky Delgadillo -- $12,000; and City Council members Cardenas, Weiss, Greuel, Parks, Labonge, Smith and Janice Hahn -- various amounts. (CM Smith was only $500, though.)

KNBC'S PAUL MOYER: The mayor... the city attorney... seven sitting members of LA's city council. What shady activity have they all benefited from?

RICHARD FINE (FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR): These people were guilty of accepting what is known as laundered money.

BOB STERN (POLITICAL SCIENTIST): Money laundering is the most serious violation of the campaign finance law.

JAY HANDEL (BUSINESSMAN/POLITICAL CONSULTANT): It just makes all of the politics dirty.

PAUL MOYER: According to city records... these high-profile politicos have all received illegal, laundered campaign donations in recent years. They all say they didn't know the money was illegal when they got it, but only one has given any of it up now that the truth is out, even though, under law, their obligations seem clear.

RICHARD FINE: The obligation on the politician is absolute. In other words, As soon as he/she finds out that he/she has received an illegal contribution they must give it back.

JAY HANDEL: The city has for years known about these violations and it slipped through their hands very happily.

PAUL MOYER: This lack of enforcement, say the critics, allows unscrupulous donors, many of them real estate developers, to corrupt the political process.

JAY HANDEL: You've got developers continuing to pad the coffers of campaigns to ensure their people get in.

RICHARD FINE: The system is corrupt.

PAUL MOYER: Critics say, some donors are getting around the limits by funneling campaign funds through other people, through cutouts. This so-called laundered money -- especially when matched with public funds -- can give a recipient-candidate a head-start in campaign fund-raising and can discourage other potential candidates from running.

PAUL MOYER: City and state law makes laundered contributions illegal, and authorities have cracked down, most notably in 2004 when the LA county District attorney got 14 individuals associated with Casden Properties Inc. to plead no contest to laundering campaign funds. The City Ethics Commission fined them and went after other dirty donors... collecting more than $1,200,000 in fines. It's a record the Commission's executive officer, Lee Ann Pelham, is proud of.

PAUL MOYER: Critics say the Ethics Commission is simply giving a pass to the politicians it answers to.

JAY HANDEL: The Ethics Commission is appointed by the City Council people, approved by the City Council people and basically at that point you've got the fox watching the henhouse.

What's more, say critics, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and Councilman Jack Weiss are experienced prosecutors who should be particularly sensitive to the letter and spirit of the law.

JAY HANDEL: Jack Weiss is a former federal prosecutor. He gets it. Rocky is our top cop in the city.

Delgadillo echoed this theme through a spokesman, saying: "The City attorney and other elected officials who received money from Mr. Casden's associates had no knowledge of illegal money laundering when they received these contributions..."

Delgadillo says he "will work cooperatively with (the state's Fair Political Practices Commission) if they decide to revisit this issue."

But he and his fellow recipients on the City Council gave no indication they'll relinquish laundered funds voluntarily.

PAUL MOYER: What are the ramifications to our political system in this city?

RICHARD FINE: Unless the politicians themselves decide to give the money back. This is the same thing as stuffing a ballot box. If we don't have clean elections it's not worth having a democracy.

zumadogg@gmail.com

Dear FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS, Can You Please Look Into LAANE/CRA/Councilmembers Over Fraud and Conflicts Over LA City's "Affordable Housing" SCAMS!!!

Anonymous pussy said...OOOOOOH!, Zuma says it is over! I bet Garcetti, Huizar, Reyes and Weissass are shaking in their boots. There is not threat more emptier than a threat from Zuma - what a dumbass.

Alright dumbass, let's see how empty my efforts are now that you just caused me to post a new thread. STAY TUNED ALL THIS WEEKEND TO MAYOR SAM FOR EVEN MORE.

HEY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

WHY WOULD YOU ALLOW LAANE/CRA/VILLARAIGOSA and LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL TO ABUSE YOUR MONEY LIKE THIS!?!?

D.C.: CALL ME (310) 928-7544 or email zumadogg@gmail.com for the entire story. (Including stuff I haven't posted because I don't have documentation, but the UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN EASILY GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.)

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH...DON'T LET A BUNCH OF CORRUPT, CRIMINALLY-BEHAVING SELL-OUTS MAKE A MOCKERY OF YOUR SYSTEM!!! HAVEN'T YOU HEARD THE WAY ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA RUNS THIS TOWN??? (Did you see "The Godfather" or "Chinatown"?) How about that guy Hsu who was working for the Clinton/Villaraigosa team!

FEATURED COMMENT:

Anonymous said...Zuma, Is it possible the Hsu is a front (throught his Ponzi scheme) for money laundering for the City, State and Federal cabals? Thats a hell of a lot of money to scam people. It would be a good place to "launder" money.

PRESIDENT BUSH...SEND SOME FOLKS TO LOS ANGELES CITY HALL...YOU'LL FIND MUCH WORSE THAN HSU!!!

WHICH COUNCILMEMEBERS KEEP "ALLOWING" THEMSELVES TO BE PUSHED AROUND BY LAANE/CRA's MADELINE JANIS

FEATURED COMMENT: Anonymous said...Zuma Dogg may be the people's prophet..Amerland is getting beat over the head by the CRA Commissioner who is with LAANE. Madeline Janis

From ZD's Inbox:Zuma, Being discrete here, but I read your piece on LAANE. My employer is getting whacked by them on a couple fronts. Outside of Antonio, how much pull do they have with other electeds? Who is important for them, etc?

ZD says THAT would be: JOSE HUIZAR, ERIC GARCETTI, ED REYES, JACKASS WEISS. (These four deserve to be in their own special "SHADY AS F*CK" catagory. (Aks the DA's office!)

With "honorable mention" to RICHARD ALARCON, WENDY GREUEL and HERB WESSON. (Or is it DIS-honorable mention?!?!) BILL ROSENDAHL may belong in this catagory, too.

JANIS of LAANE: IF I GET ONE MORE F*CKING COMPLAINT ABOUT YOU!!!

HEY JANIS...either step down from LAANE -- or step down from CRA. SO, WHICH ONE?...TIME IS UP!

NO MORE CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND BULLY TACTICS. IT'S OVER MADELINE! YOUR GIG IS UP. AND THAT MEANS THE COST PER UNIT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE GOING DOWN! You wanna talk "community benefits"?!?!? Stop doing what you are doing!!! (Then the community would "benefit"!) THERE'S TOO MUCH VISIBILITY AND AWARENESS, NOW.

TAKE YOUR PROFITS AND WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

Don't knows/Depends (regarding LAANE) = TOM LABONG, JANICE HAHN.

LAANE may not have much pull with = GREIG SMITH, DENNIS ZINE.

CMs who don't get along with LAANE = JAN PERRY, BERNARD PARKS, TONY CARDENAS. (Tony rolls with his own affordable housing crew.)

How Is Villaraigosa Gonna Close The City's $300 Million Budget Gap? Create New Fees and Taxes!

Zuma Dogg just got done reviewing the City's annual budget and either Big ZD made a mistake, or Villaraigosa doesn't know how to do a budget.

According to the calculations I just did in my head, the City of Los Angeles is $300 million behind on the budget -- and counting. (Total budget=$6.8 billion)

Of the $625 million in City utility tax money, around $300 million comes from DWP shady user taxes.

First, there's loss of over $30 million in "water transfer taxes".

And, there's the loss of $270 million in cell phone excise tax which was declared illegal by the Federal government. (No more excise taxes.)

Illegal fees applied in the past are not only lost, but perhaps a lawsuit for DWP to pay back years of lost amounts of illegal billing.

That dumb-jackass of a mayor Antonio Villarashmosa is now going to have to ask all 45 departments to cut by 5%. (Except for his travel and "entourage" budget, which MUST be increased! So don't look there. $300 million is 5% if total budget.)

LOW RESERVE FUND, TOO -- AND THE TIMING COULDN'T BE BETTER

With only $120 million in the reserve fund, there is nothing to make up the deficit.

And if I remember correctly, the City of Los Angeles is REQUIRED to keep 2% of the total budget in a reserve fund. $88 million is the required minimum you can have in the fund. Currently, the City has $93 million in the reserve, but they need $128 million.

Being DESPARATLEY close to the bare minimum in the reserve fund (the City's savings account, Villaraiogsa has no way to meet City emergencies!!!

So I think I'm gonna give LA Shitty Council a call, and see if there are some new and creative ways to think of some new fees and taxes to create.

BOTTOM LINE:

Everyone, please paypal the Mayor some money for the City because it is $300 million short this year, and a savings account about as sparce as Big ZD's. So PLEASE be careful, cause if there are any emergencies, too bad...no hay dinero! So Janice, Richard, and other Councilmembers, please add new fees and hike taxes to help cover the deficit. The mayor has a lot of hiring and flying to do!

AND IF ANY READERS HAVE SOME GOOD NEW FEES AND TAXES WE CAN STICK THE CONSTITUENTS WITH, POST THEM AS COMMENTS ON THIS THREAD.

I'll start with one: "Air Access Fee". Not to be confused with "air rights". There is a lot of air contained within the city limits that people use each day for things like breathing. We charge for water and other natural resources. Why just give away City air. So I would start there.

FEATURED COMMENT

Anonymous said...And when/if the real estate market declines are they doing next year's budget based upon this year's property tax collection? Forget about any reserve! This city is an Enron. Garcetti and others should stop bragging about what a great bond rating we have. If I were a Wall Street analyst, I would give this city a D rating!

First it was commissioners against commissioners (See ZD coverage of LAANE/CRA stories on this blog). Now it is between one commissioner and two Councilmembers. (CM Perry and CM Cardenas)

Wow! One against two. And I thought Councilmembers were powerful? But I guess it’s commissioners. (Or at least a commissioner that sits on LAANE AND CRA!) So, Perry and Cardenas had to sit through the four hour meeting in the peanut gallery like Dogg and Dowd! (LOL!)

By David Zahniser and Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times Staff WritersSeptember 15, 2007

LA Times: “Days after that vote, commissioner Madeline Janis, one of seven board members appointed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, said her colleagues were under pressure to approve the $8-million package.”

[ LA Times...please don't forget to mention that Janis is the paid Executive Director of LAANE. And please look into LAANE a little bit more, like getting hold of their complete list of donors and contributors, etc. ]

Janis said it was especially unusual to see two council members -- Jan Perry, who represents downtown, and Tony Cardenas, who represents the San Fernando Valley -- sit through four hours of discussion on the matter.

"There was all of this political pressure put on every member of the board," Janis said. "It was direct, like having two council members sitting there the entire time, to the indirect, like hearing back that the developer was really angry and was going have retribution against any CRA board member who didn't support him."

Cardenas and Perry disputed the allegations. "I don't know Madeline very well, but anyone who comes up with such a concoction of a scenario is confused and making things up," Cardenas said.

[Interesting that CM Cardenas told Zuma Times (on the record, during a Housing Committee meeting, in response to my comments over “profitable” non-profit housing scheme as blogged here) that he had heard a story that was happening, too. (Driving up the cost of affordable housing units for developer profit.)]

LAANE: Can You disclose your COMPLETE list of donors and contributors.

As you mentioned, LAANE is backed by the County Fed AFL CIO and ACLU. That is a formidable force!

LAANE can threaten lawsuits and can actually follow up with real lawsuits quite often (along with the help of ACLU).

A lot of people including some city hall politicians are fearful of LAANE because of that -- in addition to LAANE's powerful County Fed AFL-CIO backing.

Most people who understand what you are explaining are lobbyists, consultants, lawyers, developers, politicians and professional staffers who have made a lot of money by knowing some of the things you mention.

SOMEONE ELSE EXPLAINS TO ZUMA TIMES WHY THERE IS A LOT TO IGNORE HERE:

They want to keep making more money using the same old tricks. They want to keep the secrets for themselves. They don't want to disclose or share any of this stuff. Plus, they have made plenty of shady deals too. They don't want to be exposed and get into trouble.

It's kinda complicated. Hope I explain it good. It's about LAANE, the CRA, LA Times friendliness with LAANE executives who also sit on the CRA as maybe being a reason they are soft on Antonio at the LA Times. (And maybe why people are feeding me the stuff they used to feed to the Times editorial department. LOL!) So let's try and tie some of these old tidbits together for my new infomercial seminar called, "How to Make Lots of Profit in the Affordable Housing Game." (And how to play it like a game, because that's what it is to them. And it involves a racket!)

WHAT IS “LAANE”?

LAANE is the “think tank” created by County Fed AFL-CIO. That is also our city's “official affordable housing advocates" as referred to previously. They are extremely close to LA City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. They are actually Villaraigosa’s think tank. LAANE people idolize Antonio the way an American Idol auditoner idolizes Ryan Seacrest.

LAANE can often mobilize 20 to 30 young volunteer lawyers, religious leaders, students, low-income workers, new immigrants, etc to show up at a city meeting and help kill a project completely -- or help push it through. (ZD NOTE TO ALL “ZAP” ACTIVISTS: That is the trick. You need to be able to mobilize 20 to 30 people to show up at public comment in order to influence the hearing.)

LAANE can definitely dictate affordable housing issues; and control which projects get the green light or the red light (and under what conditions).

LAANE is also a non-profit that does indeed takes donations. Yes in-diddie do they take donations. Did I happen to mention that they are a non-profit and take donations?

I think it’s public knowledge that they have taken donations from developers, law firms and consultants. (The “front-end loaded management” contract-trifecta, y’all!!!)

LAANE SUPPORTERS/DONATIONS LIST: http://www.laane.org/supporters.html : See the first one: California Community Foundation Grand Ave Committee has operated out of this Foundation! (Where can ZD see their COMPLETE Supporter/Donor list?)

HOW TO BE A SMART "LAANE-FREINDLY"/"SUCCESSFUL" (CRA-APPROVED) DEVELOPER

If I wanted to be a smart developer, I would donate to LAANE directly, right off the bat. (Tax deductible, y’all!!! Yeah, yeah!). Or, donate to the mayor (not tax deductible); and/or pay a consultant/consultants. (The more, the merrier!) In any event, if you wanna make a nice profit off of some non-profit housing, just give LAANE a call. (First!)

(And if you need good tickets to a concert, or sporting event -- call a ticket broker!)

LA Times said...”(Janis) helped lead a successful campaign to legalize and regulate the activities of the mostly Latino immigrant sidewalk vendors.”

" …. she also headed efforts to combat civil rights abuses of Central American immigrants by the L.A. Police Department and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and helped tens of thousands of Central American immigrants achieve legal immigrant status. … "

BUT EXCUSE ME:

…. She also worked for two years at the law firm of Latham & Watkins on commercial litigation and land use matters, representing many large companies throughout Los Angeles. …"

LA Times Editorial Page Editor, Jim Newton, wrote the smoothcy article about Janis. ZD’s Batcomputer says they have been close and friendly with each other (along with Antonio’s Chief of Staff and fomer Alatorre-mentored, Robin Kramer).

SO TO EVERYONE WHO FEELS THE LA TIMES IS SOFT ON ANTONIO AND CITY HALL, MAYBE THAT IS WHY? (Cheesy Infomercial Announcer Voice): But wait...there’s more!!!

Jim Newton's Times article did mention her CRA position. But sent ZD another message, as well:

LA Times said...”As a member of the CRA board, she has lobbied for affordable housing set-asides in return for development rights,…"

Lobbied? A lobbying commissioner?(How can you be a neutral decision maker (which is what a commissioner supposed to be), when you are lobbying for one side, or the other?!?!?

" … In the heated L.A. real estate environment of recent years, many developers and others have swallowed hard and accepted those conditions. But some protest bitterly in private and warn that as the market softens, they may opt to take their building projects elsewhere rather than knuckle under to what they see as extortion from Janis and like-minded colleagues…."

All these thing must be legal according to our ethics law. If so, it only shows how sad our ethics law is. And the excercise and practice of such methods may also be showing us how corrupt the whole Villaraigosa system is.

(Good evening City Hall political operatives. Make sure you NEVER sing “We Are The Champions” at Karaoke.)

So the LA Times may be good for scratching the surface on some issues. But thanks to all in the community, throughout the City...from the third and fourth floor, to my diverse range of friends in the diverse areas of CD 14, to everyone I encounter at the public meetings, the people who tell me their stories on the bus (spent a half hour listening to a former union teacher from LASUD AND Private schools). All of whom make your political operative ass on the losing end of the perception game. You have no business being paid for what you do. Check the statistics. Your “strategy” isn’t working. Even if you DO have the Times under your thumb.

So what do you think? Insightful tea leaf reading, or Prop 215-induced paranoia? I hope it's the second one!

zumadogg@gmail.com(310) 928-544

Thanks to Green Dot's Steve Barr and David Tokofsky for Not Kicking Me Out of The Party and For Dropping Zuma Dogg Off at The Bus Stop

Thanks to Steve Barr and Green Dot for not kicking Big ZD out of their meeting about Locke Charter in Watts. OK...it was a party, it celebration of the approval of the "partnership" between Green Dot and LAUSD at Locke. (But they didn't kick me out, and they had some decent free food!)

Zuma Dogg got to kick the tires a little bit (a lot, actually) at the Green Dot party in (their) celebration of the Locke Charter approval in Watts. ZD has raised a lot of concerns over Charters and potential conflicts of interest and "fraud, waste and abuse" and I have no idea from the party whether that will happen, or not, with Green Dot; but I did get a lot out of the opportunity to meet the truly diverse and non-conforming types who make up the Green Dot staff and supporters.

CLICK READ MORE FOR RECAP

Reggie, the music director wrote the mega-classic "Let It Whip". (So I hit it off with him, of course, being a music ledgend myself.) I met the guy in charge of "gangs" and I got a real earful as to how complex the situation is with 14 different gangs surrounding the school and the challenge to keep all that "squashed" on the school campus for the future of their brothers and sisters. (However "caught up" these gang members may be, they don't want THEIR kids involved. No thug wants someone dating HIS sister, even though HE wants to date the other guy's sister is how it was explained to me. So you can appeal to them at THAT level. (But that doesn't mean it's easy.) The recent flair up at Locke IS a problem, because they know the school is in transition now and no one is really in charge. (Green Dot doesn't take over until 2008.)

I met Green Dot's "consultant" who is the "political operative strategy" guy. So it was kind of a "Spy vs Spy" off-duty moment. He's doesn't appear to be a bitter, fear-based, loser like the Mayor's City Hall people doing the same thing.

And a bunch of parents, teachers, principals and executive staff who make up Green Dot. Whether all that stuff ZD is concerned about with Charters will be happening at Green Dot is yet to be deterimined. But there was no way they could have been faking their sense of "team" and desire to succeed and "do this damn thing" and rise to the challenge as being demanded by the community in Watts.

PERCEPTION vs REALITY CHECK:

ZD always talks about "perception" vs "reality" in the strategy warfare game. This time it works against Julie Korenstein, AJ Duffy ("Duffy" was on Doug McIntyre today), Zuma Dogg and all his anti-AB 1381 compadres who are now also concerned about Charter abuse. We can bring up all the watchdogg angles and warn the people all day and night: But my consultants have taught me that people make decisions like these based on emotions, not logic.

The people in Watts look around...see Green Dot Charters doing well in other areas...AND THEY WANT ONE OF THOSE IN THEIR AREA, TOO! It's a matter of community dignity and respect at some level, too. Then they meet Steve Barr and his team of community outreachers (they spin as good as I've heard) -- and all the parents know is THEY WANT ONE!

So ZD has been having some fun jabbing the Green Dot staff with comments like, "Wow! You guys are like Evil Knivel. You said you're gonna jump Snake River Canyon, and now you have to do it." And the challenge here (besides the tough area from a gang standpoint) is the size of the school. Green Dot's "Secret Formula" is small classroom sizes with 500 student schools. Locke has 2800 students and they want to expand to 5000.

Mr. Barr tells me they ARE going to operate it as a bunch (ten I think) smaller schools on the one campus. With a separate principal at each "school". But they WILL benefit by the large numbers for sports and band and other programs.

Of course this will require construction around the campus area, and maybe that's where the "front-end loaded management" speech gets to be dusted off. But the construction is one issue. As far as the challenge: Putting aside UTLA's AJ Duffy's statements that this isn't over yet and will pursue further action to start the approval process all over, I think what we have here, is a guy surrounded by a bunch of motivated, smart and enthusiastic people, who are now stuck with the challenge of pulling off their biggest magic trick, without the benefit of all your powers.

FOR THE RECORD: Green Dot people assure me, assure me, assure me that although they agree there is concern that some/many Charters skim cream of the crop higher achievers off the LAUSD system -- THIS IS NOT THE CASE AT GREEN DOT!!! And in fact, they bend over backwards to keep it open to all. (I'm not saying this, they are. But DAMN, they sure are congruent in their defense of this. If they WERE skimming, that would really throw 100% of their credibility out the window since they made it really, really clear to ZD that this was not the case at Green Dot.

One thing that kinda came out of my "hanging" with Green Dot: Although both sides (LAUSD and Green Dot) are calling it a "partnership", it's NOT a partnership, really. LAUSD is giving Steve and Co. the ball to see what they can do. I think they have five years. And the "partnership" means if LAUSD isn't happy with the results, the school will revert back and they can start all over again. Green Dot WILL be opertating out of the LAUSD facilities, so that's the partnership.

SO MUCH MORE TO COME ON THIS HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ZUMA DOGG AND STEVE BARR'S GREEN DOT FOR THIS MOST IMPORTANT OCCASION. (Green Dot party for staff and supporters who helped get the project approved.) Whether you feel it deserved to be celebrated or mourned is another issue. But these people did come off as "outside the box", "non-conforming" types that may be better at getting through to kids. (I liked the math teacher who had a really cool mohawk!)

You know why Steve Barr and Green Dot's crew may be THE best, highly organized, political-operative spinners that people say they are: I walked out of there feeling like they really WANT to succeed and are passionate and innovative (and a little pissed off at all the beuracracy, themselves). They come off as a bunch of people on a mission. Now they actually have to try and figure out how the heck to do it and actually do it.

AND thanks to David Tokofsky and Steve Barr who not only carpooled, but dropped ZD off at the bus stop afterwards. (Helping to save gas and reduce traffic congestion!!!) COMMUNITY OUTREACH, Y'ALL!!!

NOTE: Party's over phone hackers! ZD had to get a new cell phone number. If you called me on my old number and are trying to reach me, call (310) 928-7544.zumadogg@gmail.com

* Dumb ideas for HOV lane* Grand Ave Project Story in LA Times today. (ZD once again with the "in between the lines" coverage.)* LA LIVE's Anshultz required to add (profitable) affordable housing to his project. (A punishment or favor?)* Locke/Green Dot Challenge: How to bring small 500 student community attention to 5000 students.

Huh...huh...huh...This is like four theads in one. Everything came in at once. So click READ MORE for the MAYOR SAM MEGA-SHADY-THREAD!

GRAND AVE PROJECT CONFLICTS CONTINUE TO UNFOLD: Oh no...Jan Perry says she didn't have to recuse herself from Grand Ave Project voting even though she only lives two blocks from the project. Says she, ""I had no greater benefit from this project than anyone else in the area." True, you benefit by the higher property values as a result of the project, as much as anyone else in the area. But THEY didin't get to vote "yes", either. Besides that, the project SUCKS and is ILLEGAL!

Dear Los Angeles Times,

Although Chris Sutton did not discuss the details of his lawsuit that will eventually be dropped cause the mayor is homies with the Bonaventure's Peter Zen. So this will just be a way for the mayor to cut him a settlement check and a bunch of goodies to drop the lawsuit. (We call it a controlled burn.) Mr. Sutton told Zuma Dogg all the stuff that can actually sink the project and prevent it from moving forward. But now he's brining up the "minor diversionary tactic" of mentioning Jan Perry living too close to take away from the real stuff like THIS:

* IT IS ILLEGAL for City Council (a local agency) to sit on a "committee" (or whatever) along with the CRA (a STATE agency) where City Council votes on State issues like the 16 acre park. AND City Council gets to vote on any expenditure over $25,000. (A pretty small amount when you consider an over $2 billion starting price.) I HOPE NONE OF THAT IS FOR COUNTY OR STATE THINGS! I would hate to see one of my Councilamigos be convicted of a crime over it if this is the case.

* Any Councilmember who accepted campaign contributions from people and companies associated with the project needs to recuse theyselves on all Grand Ave Project votes, or they may be in violation of the law. A punishable offense. (With all the big corporate powers involved, I wouldn't be shocked to find out there was some contributing. Wouldn't be shocked if CMs didn't recuse themselves either. But IG ZD will be checking!)

* In violation of Bunker Hill Hotel AND Housing agreements (as mentioned in the Times).

* BESIDES THAT: The whole thing sucks. Giving a bunch of billionaires a bunch of subsidies/tax breaks to let them make all the decisions on five star hotels, boutique shops and luxury condos. (But we get 100 affordable rentals on site AT THE MOST!) F*CK THAT SH*T! It ain't gonna work. That and LA LIVE just killed any chances you had to revitalize downtown.I'm gonna calll the area between Grand Ave and LA LIVE, "White Elephant Row". YOU BIG DUMMIES! WHAT ELSE CAN YOU POSSIBLY PLAN WRONG? WHY DON'T YOU JUST BUILD WALL TO WALL CONDO BUILDINGS AND ADMIT THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH ROADS OR MASS TRANSIT? Oh yeah...you did? LA Times story on Grand Ave Project

* MORE PROFITABLE NON-PROFIT REQUIREMENTS FOR "LA LIVE" GUY: (Sounds like a restrictive condition, but it's a favor!)

Anschutz may be eligible for housing fundsState Legislature works into the early hours to get measures passedBy Patrick McGreevy and Nancy Vogel

Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) said the company project must include affordable housing for it to be eligible for any bond money, and a business improvement district or the city must apply for the money.

"We are not giving them the money," he said. "They have to apply for it."

This guy is the proud recipient of Zuma Dogg's "Quote of the Decade" Award, even though it' s only '07!: "We are not giving them the money. They have to apply for it." (Oh no...what if they are deaf, dumb and blind and don't have any arms or legs to write or type. THEN how are they supposed to get the money?)

* LA Times: "Caltrans must figure out how to reduce growing congestion in California's carpool lanes or face a possible cut in federal funding. But as is so often the case with freeway planning, there are no easy solutions for getting traffic flowing better. LA Times on stupid car pool lane ideas by experts

The push comes three months after the Federal Highway Administration declared California's carpool lanes out of compliance with federal regulations, which require the lanes to flow at speeds of 45 mph or faster at rush hour."

ZUMA Times: So now they think by cracking down on the 5% cheaters (and all the money and effort it would take that they don't have) is going to fix the problem. Plus some of these ideas:

* Prohibit single-occupant hybrid vehicles in carpool lanes. [After they bought the cars thinking they could use them.]

* Increase the number of people needed to form a carpool from two occupants to three. [Sure, anything to keep the HOV lane clear cause that's the lane that gets the Federal money. Make the other lanes worse, who cares. The money doesn't go to those lanes. And hey, if you were pushing to carpool with your friend...forget it. All you two-person carpoolers may as well drive yourself if you were doing it for the HOV benefit.]

* Charge to use the carpool lane. [No way...ACLU would sue because it's unfair to poor people.]

ONLY ONE SOLUTION!!! Whether you keep it at two cars and still allow single occupied hybrids -- or eliminate ALL restrictions: HERE'S THE GOAL: Keep it at 45 mph. You cannot require three, or charge, or make a second HOV lane. All of that wll make it worse. (Cause then everyone will just pay, and you will have the same problem.) YOU KEEP THE RESTRICTIONS THE SAME -- AND MONITOR THE HOV LANE. When it is over 45 MPH...sorry kiddies: No mas traffico! No more cars. I don't care if you have 8 people in a hybrid VW Beetle. No more cars. So in other words: We have become so overpopulated, even if you are compliant with currnet HOV rules -- if there isn't room in the lane, the red light stays on and you can't enter. THEN -- you spend money to enforce THAT! Again, the problem with bonuses and incentives according to Deming is that it makes you do things to hit the target (fear based goal) that doesn't have anything to do with solving the problem efficeintly. So if you get paid on keeping the HOV lane at 45 MPH. That's easy. It may make the rest of the situation worse, but you get the bonus money! GO GET THAT BONUS MONEY. Keep it at 45 MPH. When it gets too crowded, no more cars -- no matter how compliant. The purpose of the lane isn't to improve congestion. It's to keep the one lane at 45 MPH plus, cause that's the lane the FEDS care about!

LOCKE GREEN DOT CHARTER IN WATTS: Steve Barr, Founder/CEO of Green Dot Charter Schools says the key to their success (where they have it) is due to the 500 student sized schools and smaller classroom size. (I think about 20 kids per class.)

So if Freemont is going to have 2800 to start (and hopes of expanding to 5000), the whole point and number one formula to success is out the window. IS THIS A POSSIBLE SOULTION? Divide the entire 2800 population into separate 500 student based clusters within the entire school property/student population.

LOCKE GREEN DOT CHARTER IN WATTS: Steve Barr, Founder/CEO of Green Dot Charter Schools says the key to their success (where they have it) is due to the 500 student sized schools and smaller classroom size. (I think about 20 kids per class.)

So if Freemont is going to have 2800 to start (and hopes of expanding to 5000), the whole point and number one formula to success is out the window. IS THIS A POSSIBLE SOULTION? Divide the entire 2800 population into separate 500 student based clusters within the entire school property/student population.

I feel sorry for Steve, because he is being asked to deliver his magic with both hands tied behind his back and his legs shackled.

So maybe he's secretly happy I am saying this stuff, because the school was going to be approved anyway, so it kinda gets him off the hook -- right off the bat.

SO IS THIS A POSSIBLE SOULTION?

Divide the entire 2800 population into separate 500 student based clusters within the entire school property/student population.

Let's say five clusters within the school. So what does this mean/logistics:

With 500 student schools, you benefit by the "community effect". All the teachers get to know all the parents and students. All the kids get to know each other. You don't get "lost in the crowd". In other words, teachers don't have as huge of a roster with too many people to know and deal with to know enough about any one situation.

HOWEVER, you can't just say, "OK, only 20 kids per room." Cause you couldn't accomodate the 2800, let alone 5000.

So perhaps you have to have larger classroom sizes still, but assign two teachers per room. Or have a floating teacher who moves between two class rooms. When a lesson is being taught on the board, one teacher can teach. And when the lesson is over, two teachers can be available to help the kids with their work. WHATEVER, just having two teachers per class room is one way I can think of to reduce classroom size, without reducing classroom size. At least when it comes to the amount of students and parents a single teacher has to be responsible for.

MEANWHILE, you can stil benefit by an entire assembly of all 2800 for sports teams, band, after school programs, library, theater presentations and areas that benefit by increased numbers.

zumatimes.comzumadogg.gmail.com

Zuma Dogg Public Comment Trifecta: City Council, Board of Supervisors & LAUSD in One Day To Warn of NON-PROFIT ABUSE COUNTY WIDE

It's getting deep and wide regarding all this non-profit fraud, waste and abuse (corruption) of public land, money and trust. LA Times did a few stories this past week regarding this issue, and ZD has blogged additional information regarding these stories on Mayor Sam's blog. And now, I took the show on the road hitting City Council, Board of Supervisors and LAUSD today. (Public comment shady trifecta.) I almost missed the LAUSD comment on Locke/Green Dot Charter because the police would not let me in the building saying that they were at capacity. I told him I had a cards in. He said, they had a long way to go before they got to my item. I had a friend check the TV broadcast and they were calling my name as the cop was telling me they had a long way to go. So I told the cop he is not the Fire Marshall. I saw NO Fire Marshalls on scene and told the cop if he didn't let me in, he would have a civil lawsuit on his hands since police are not Fire Marshalls. So he backed up off my tip. Superintendent David Brewer happened to walk past me as I was finally entered the room and he told me, "They just called you." So of course I had to talk to a few people to have them call my name again, which they did. So thank you to all those at LAUSD who helped get me up there. And remember, next time you shut down the room for capacity, make sure a Fire Marshall does it.

CLICK READ MORE FOR Zuma's "Zuma Times" newspaper-style coverage of the Locke/Green Dot Charter in Watts LAUSD Item. And thanks to Celeste Freemont for the picutre of ZD & Steve (see above) and including it in her coverage of the meeting. She covered the meeting in a fun way on her blog. (CLICK READ MORE FOR BOTH) Meanwhile, here's what I had to say about the Locke/LASUD Charter partnership:

First of all, I noted if the parents and kids put this much energy and attention into "regular" (non-charter) LAUSD schools, the problem would be solved! (Some of the board members were smiling and nodding in agreement, and the crowd of parents and kids behind me broke out into cheers!)

Secondly, I am concerned that whatever magic "tricks of the trade" Steve Barr's Green Dot is able to use to outperform non-charters may not be a part of this formula.

According to Green Dot Founder/CEO Steve Barr, the key to success with his Charters is the small 500 student schools. This allows more attention to be placed on students and is easier to create the critical parental involvement and "community" that can cultivate in a school of 500 students. (At 500, all the teachers know all the kids; the kids don't feel lost in a huge school; you can't hide and screw off as much; more accountability.)

The Locke Charter is 2800 students and Steve Barr told me today they plan on expanding it to 5000 students. So that magic is out the window.

Green Dot is praised for showing signs of being able to deliver higher test scores than other schools in the same area. However, ZD heard this trick is achieved by creating application forms that are more of a screener than fair and open application. So if it is true that Green Dot has had the benefit of "cream of the crop" higher achieveing students (without having the special needs, more challenging students); then that is why Charter test scores are higher. (A "cream of the crop" pool of students at Charters help those scores, while the remaining non-charter schools' scores drop as a result -- as a double-whammy.)

And Steve Barr assured me today that Locke will be open to all students in the area. So that means they will not have the benefit of screening out the types of students that bring test scores down -- and can't select/accept a majority of higher achievers some fear make up sucessful Charters. (So that angle is gone.)

UTLA President told Zuma Dogg/Zuma Times that he is very unhappy with the entire process of the approval. (Feeling it was fastracked without proper notification, involvement, etc.) I asked if he would be for it, or against it (besides the vaild complaint over the process) and Mr. Duffy gave me the right answer: He said he didn't know, because he wasn't included in the process. (That's what he is complaining about.) He couldn't give me an opinion of whether he was "for it" or "against it", because he didn't know enough about it. (As opposed to using the "process" complaint as an excuse to block something you are already against.) Some may doubt his sincerity, but at least he spun it correctly to ZD/didn't pile on a bunch of additional grivences regarding the situation.

Mr. Barr tells The Times (Zuma Times) that Locke is unique to all other Charters, so far, because this is a "partnership" with LAUSD -- as opposed to just being approved and running it on their own. (As has always been the case with Charters, until Locke.)

I asked Steve, "What makes this different?" He told me that besides it being on LAUSD property (as opposed to all other Charters that use their own land and facilities), that they will continue to "evolve" the partnership and make changes along the way based on what is and isn't working.

Now some would say that sounds shady. (Approving it without the details worked out.) But ZD actually says this passes the Deming test. A pilot makes frequent changes in course based on changing conditions (weather, traffic). So it is actually a "quality" move toward innovation and efficiency to say that changes will be made as needed. (In theory, assuming it isn't out of shadiness.)

But that didn't really seem like much, except for the fact that it the Charter will operate on LAUSD property, AJ Duffy tells Zuma Times, "A Charter is a Charter is a Charter". And he feels there is no difference between this Locke partnership with Green Dot and any other Charter.

So at that point, it needs to be mentioned that there is concern of taking public money and handing it over to private non-profits where the money can be wasted through front end loaded management contracts and other corruption that was reported on this week in LA Times regarding California's largest Charter operator violatiing every concern ZD has mentioned over the past year.

SUMMARY: The parents and kids of the Watts/Locke area deserve the learning environment that people from the area today who showed up for LAUSD public comment are demanding. And the grass is always greener on the other side. So in this case a Green Dot Charter in Watts at Locke sure seems like a win-win on the surface.

However, the secret to success is a 500 student sized school to allow a community to incubate and parents, teachers and students are able to know each other and it's a manageable situation. At Locke, it's 2800 students with hopes of 5000. And when it comes to higher test scores at Green Dot...well if it is true that they have the luxury of the "cream of the crop" students -- not only does that help the scores, but it hurts LAUSD scores as they are left with the bulk of english as second language, special needs and physically challenged kids. (The higher achievers who left for Charters are not there to factor into the remaining LAUSD non-charter scores. Aka: A double-dip of a hit.) And, if Green Dot benefits by more flexible autonomy in all other Charter schools that outperform LAUSD, well by being shackled and set-back with the bueracracy you will be forced to contend with as an "LAUSD" partner...well more magic gone.

It's like saying Wolfgang Puck is opening up a restuarant. Then you take down the McDonalds sign, put up a Wolfgang Puck sign -- and expect the food or service to change. The kids and parents of Watts should watch "The Wizard of OZ". Because with this divided LAUSD school board, and a McDonald's version of a Wolfgang Puck Charter, you don't need and cannot count on a Charter to raise your scholastic achievement. You have the power and only you can do it. I saw it in the board room today with all those concerned parents and students. It ain't easy. You almost have to say, "Just like kids do physical education outside the school in the form of karate or the gym; they are going to have to take their education into their own hands and do a majority of the actual learning outside the classroom. And finally, that's where the school system MUST do a better job of using the internet to help fit the medium to the student. You want 100% graduation rate? You better get all lessons on the internet so kids can use it as online tutorial outside the classroom.

Oh no...all my "the sky is falling" predictions are coming true! ZD has been warning about non-profit abuse of Federal Public Money in ways just like this. And now we are starting to see examples and evidence of some audits and busts. Hopefully they are working their way to LA City. (Hey Mr. K and Kevin James: This sounds like one of my calls to your show!)

Audit uncovers problems at nonprofit agency

United States Veterans Initiative's complex setup and its dealings with a for-profit partner are questioned. CEO says no laws broken.

By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times Staff WriterSeptember 10, 2007

An audit report released today revealed serious financial and operational problems involving a nonprofit organization's handling of federal grant money flowing through its social service centers in Inglewood and Long Beach.

"There can be no better use of federal funds than for helping our veterans in need," said Gerald Walpin, inspector general for the Corporation for National and Community Service. "But that good purpose is no excuse for misusing such funds and thus depriving veterans of money allocated to benefit them."

The audit questioned what it described as "a number of less-than-arms-length transactions" between the nonprofit Veterans Initiative and its for-profit venture partner, Cantwell-Anderson, a real estate firm headed by developer Thomas F. Cantwell.

[Those are supposed to be much better housing programs! Actually, these people (Veterans Initiative) are/were supposed to be running better and cleaner operations already!?!? Have they become corrupted over the years too??]

Something that is very important to the people in the neighboring area is the Vernon Power Plant that is being proposed in the area. I know one concern brought to my attention is the power plant's proximity to several schools (affection numerous students) among other concerns. I've received enough emails and calls on this that I think this flyer deserves the attention here on Mayor Sam's blog for everyone in the area to be aware of:

Thanks for this. You could call these communities the Diesel Death Zone North. They are already surrounded by the 710 Freeway, the East Yard, the Hobart Yard, and the Alameda Corridor, second only to the ports as the largest sources of toxic diesel exhaust in California. Now they want to add this thing on top of it.

There is a term of art for places like this, "Environmental Sacrifice Zones". Places which are polluted and degraded beyond redemption already are the places of choice for more pollution. Why ruin another decent place, after all? Plus most of the residents of such areas are usually economically disadvantaged and/or people of color, and low propensity voters.

Dump it on them.

This is directly related to the post below about Tony Villar's manipulation of SB 974. Wilmington, San Pedro, west Long Beach, Commerce, East LA, Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Lynwood, et al are all sisters under the skin. Let them all die, as long as we make our money.

A Statewide Example of the non-profit abuse Zuma Dogg has been speaking of on the radio, TV and blogs (CITIZENS ALERT, Too)

A Statewide Example of the non-profit abuse Zuma Dogg has been speaking of on the radio, TV and blogs (CITIZENS ALERT, Too)

LA Times Reports on the Charter abuse ZD has been talking and blogging about. CITIZENS ALERT: IT'S TRUE!!!

Some BIG stories in today's LA Times that will hopefully gain me some "cred" with the talk show hosts that allow me to bring up the non-profit organizations and charter concerns that I have also been blogging about and mentioning to City Council on TV 35.

A San Bernardino County grand jury today indicted the founder of a charter school network that once was the largest in California, charging him with grand theft and misappropriation of school funds. A Hesperia city councilman also was indicted.

C. Steven Cox, who built California Charter Academy into a statewide string of 60 campuses serving more than 10,000 students, was taken into custody today and charged with more than 100 counts of misappropriation of charter school funds and theft of nearly $5.5 million.

A 2005 state audit alleged that Cox misused millions of dollars in charter school funds to lavishly pay himself, friends and family and to buy luxuries such as spa services and concert tickets.

State auditors found in 2005 that Cox had illegally opened at least 15 schools outside the boundaries of the districts granting the charters, and illegally converted eight private schools to charters.

That meant California Charter was ineligible for $23 million in government funding it received, according to the state audit.

Auditors found there was "no functional separation" between the finances of the publicly funded charter school organization and Cox's for-profit company, Educational Administrative Services Corp.

Because of excessive spending, the for-profit company was often in the red, leading Cox to bail out the corporation by transferring money from funds intended for school operations, the audit found. Many of the criminal charges announced today relate to some 40 unauthorized and illegal transfers totaling $3.5 million from the charter school company to the private corporation.

Cox paid himself $1.1 million over a four-year period and used $1.2 million to employ family members, including retroactive salary increases, according to state auditors. Cox and Honeycutt, who was the for-profit company's vice president for corporate development, also spent lavishly on their corporate American Express cards.

Auditors also found that five board members who oversaw the charter schools "had potentially unlawful or unethical conflicts of interest."

[You gotta admit, this is EXACTLY the thing I have been warning about for over a year now since AB 1381 to last week's LAUSD board meeting. ALRIGHT PEOPLE...NOT TO SAY IT HAS HAPPENED IN ZD'S JURISDICTION...BUT LET'S JUST SAY THE PUEBLOS WILL BE WATCHING WITH A MICROSCOPE ON THIS ONE, AND I HOPE SOME OF MY LEGAL EXPERTS ARE READING THIS.

REMEMBER LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALL LOS ANGELES STAKEHOLDER: The City of Los Angeles' bond rating is tied to LAUSD's. So if they go bankrupt, it not only hurts the school system, it hurts the City's bond rating. (Hello, CM Parks!)

And by forcing LAUSD world-class leader, Superintendent David L. Brewer, III (that's ADMIRAL Brewer to you Yoli) to cut $35 million in a week's time for part time cafeteria worker health benefits, I'm not real optimistic as to the future of LA's bond rating. Especially since the City now admits they don't have the transportation dollars they need and we are not going to have enough infrastructure for all the traffic. (Bad for economy if the City is an unbearable gridlock.)

Zuma & Bill O'Reilly Discuss LA City's Non-Profit Abuse Scandal on His National Radio Show

Zuma Dogg took his non-profit abuse "public comment" nationwide this morning as he called in to Bill O'Reilly to warn the country about the non-profit bamboozle where city and county agencies are handing over public money to non-profit organization where there is no accountability and a lot of the money can magically disappear.

AND THANKS TO MR. O'REILLY FOR NOT ONLY AGREEING THAT IT IS HAPPENING (BY ADDING HIS OWN LOCAL EXAMPLE), BUT FOR ADDING THAT IT IS UP TO THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THIS ISN'T HAPPENING LOCALLY AND FOR ADDING, "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE PAYING ATTENTION."

Zuma: It happening in Los Angeles, California and across the country regarding non-profit organizations. It's not a sexy issue but there is Federal money that is handed out at the state and city level. For things like schools. Let's focus on schools: You have to build new schools? Well they have Charter schools. And those are set up through non-profits. So the City or State will give the education money to the non-profit organizations, then it's front end loaded management contracts with people (relatives, friends, business associates, etc.) who sit on the board, excessive amounts of money are skimmed off the top. Then we don't have enough money to fix the problem. Then they come back and ask for more money through taxes and bonds...

Bill O'Reilly: In my neighborhood in Long Island there were two people sent to prison for exactly what you said. And it's the obligation of the local counties to make sure that their towns and schools are run legitimately. And there are some places in the United States that are corrupt and some that are run efficiently -- and its all about the people paying attention.

In case you missed the KCLS TV broadcast of the LAUSD meeting on Tuesday and Sunday, here is a recap featuring LAUSD board President Monica Garcia, Zuma Dogg and Green Dot Charter School's Founder/CEO Steve Barr. (Bill Gates, Oscar De La Hoya and Eli Broad give this guy tens of millions of dollars; AND he is Villaraigosa and his LAUSD majority board's Charter school poster boy. There are big plans to expand GreenDot from 10-12 schools to 100 or more. And there isn't a whole lot of land sitting around the city for 100 new schools. So something may have to give. Like your home.

Anyway, it's ZD on Charters (including his breakdown of the Semilla business plan before the LAUSD school board, even though I didn't mention the school by name, and other potential conflicts. Plus, a little Monica Garcia, Steve Barr and Zuma Dogg sings with his Brothers Gibb to bless the session with his rendition of "Too Much Heaven".

ALRIGHT! Someone wants Zuma Dogg to add this scene to his TV drama script about a shady, unethical and corrupt Mayor and City Hall.

SCENE: A developer pays for a mayor’s daughter's out of state college tuition, while the developer is at the mercy of the mayor’s approval on pending projects.

BACKGROUND: People don’t think the mayor’s daughter got into an out of state Ivy Leauge educational institution based on grades or scholarships. (Since the daughter only had average grades and wouldn’t qualify for scholarship money or financial aid since her parents have good incomes.)

However, an out-of-state Ivy Leauge tuition saved, is an out-of-state Ivy Leauge tuition earned. So in this scene of my Aaron Sorkin-style TV show, a developer writes a check directly to the University on behalf of the daughter.

The benefactor who cares so much about this rich kid’s education also has some big projects to push through in the same City in which her father is Mayor. And, oh no...since this is TV (and they like outrageous sensationalism), let’s ALSO throw in that the types of projects we are talking about are those unlimitedly profitable “non-profit” affordable housing projects like the one’s I have been expressing concern over.

Then, to rub it in the face of the opposition in this TV show about a mayor and City Hall, the mayor jumps in front of some cameras and takes credit for bringing affordable housing to the city to help the poor.

So the issue of this episode called, “Inspector General” is: Is there anything wrong with this “win-win” situation for the mayor, his daughter and the developer who gets the “in” to build very profitable “non-profit” 100% affordable housing?

INTERIOR SCENE: City Controller walks into District Attorney’s office and drops folder on table...

[This is a TV show and they have happy and ethical endings, so the mayor and developer get busted for this conflict of interest and new laws are put in place to prevent this type of abuse of power (corruption). But in the real world, it’s probably not illegal; so it continues; and in the series finale, the city is official declared a disaster zone and the Federal government has to step in to address the wave of homeless and economic ruin this behavior has caused while the mayor and his cronies are laughing on a yacht drinking their freshly squeezed orange juice they had flown in. I know, the freshly squeezed orange juice flown in to billionaires on a yacht is a little over-the-top...but this is a Hollywood script combining city politics with a mayor patterned after J.R of “Dallas”.]

zumadogg@gmail.comwww.zumatimes.com

New Mayoral Majority LAUSD School Board Acts Quickly To Help Students and Fix The System with $35 Million for Part-time Cafeteria Workers!

You have a school system that is a dropout, criminal producing factory. It’s become a regional, if not national crisis. You have to improve student achievement immediately! QUICK! What’s the first thing you should do? Attack the Superintendent and bully him into finding emergency money for the part-time cafeteria workers that you don't have.

After a two-hour debate this week, the board voted to extend the schedule of part-time cafeteria workers to four hours a day. That change immediately qualified 2,352 workers for health benefits under existing labor agreements.

The school district puts the annual new cost at $35.5 million; the union estimate is about $28 million. Either way, the district has identified no money to pay for the benefits. [But Yoli Flores Aguilar snapped at Brewer that there was plenty of beuracracy in the system and he has a week to find the $35 million. And she should know...it's her second school board meeting.]

The move to extend benefits could not have happened faster for members of the new board majority. They introduced the motion at their first regular meeting in July and passed it at the first opportunity -- this week's meeting. The previous board had opted for less expensive staff recommendations that focused not on health coverage but on the most efficient means to improve service, which all sides agree is lacking.

"We can be leaders in national healthcare," including pressing for universal coverage, LAUSD School Board Head Muppet Monica Garcia said. "Health benefits for cafeteria workers will help this district gain its own health."

[How about being leaders in national education first first. How many fronts do you think LAUSD can attack at once? No one voted in the shady Villargarcia board to fix the national health care system for part time cafeteria workers!]

Looks like the new mayoral-backed LAUSD school board is off to a good start. (A good start if you have investments in juvenile rehabilitation facilities and the prison system.]

AW, HELL NAW! IF ZD IS CONCERNED OVER NON-PROFIT ABUSE, HOW DO YOU THINK HE FEELS ABOUT MAYOR ANTONIO’S OWN “FLEXIBLE” (LAUSD) SCHOOL NON-PROFIT?

Shady LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa couldn’t get his hands on the entire LAUSD school system budget, so he has to settle for a small starter cluster. Brad Pitt and George Clooney should make a movie about this scam. “LAUSD 11.”

From Press Release [ZD comments in brackets]

The partnership will be part of the District’s new Innovation Division for Education Achievement (IDEA), which was created as part of Superintendent Brewer’s plan to transform District schools.

[It’s innovative, all right. Innovative in ways that it allows a mayor to pull off the bigger disappearing act since David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear. Let’s call Antonio “David Cofferfield”. (He makes coffers disappear.) It was created as “part” of Brewer’s plan...” (Yeah, Brewer has a plan, and the mayor’s shady board backers decided they would approve this as “part” of it.]

Partnership schools will receive 'increased flexibility' in exchange for 'increased accountability.' [What is the method of accountability? How do you plan on achieving it? If you don't will you give the money back?]

Among the reforms offered to partnership schools are 'increased budget autonomy and funding', increased 'flexibility from LAUSD policies' and the possibility of 'modified collective bargaining agreements'. [CITIZEN'S ALERT!!! THIS IS NOT A TEST...THIS IS NOT A TEST!!! Antonio just decided he can do whatever he wants with LAUSD money!]

Partnership schools will be held accountable for results in student achievement, safety and parent satisfaction goals within specific time frames. [Again, by what method and measure? What does “held accountable” mean? So Villar may not be able to improve results, but the schools will be held accountable if he fails?!?! So looks like the parents, kids and teachers will be punished if he doesn't raise achievement. But like his mass transit plan, he making demands before he's fixed the system. (Hasn't fixed the schools yet, but he will be demanding accountability. Like he will be demanding people take public transpo, even though he hasn't fixed that system. (Not enough) Does Villaraigosa give the money back if HE fails?]

With approval by the Board of Education, LAUSD intends to contract with the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a new 'non-profit organization' created by Mayor Villaraigosa to support and manage the two families of schools. The partnership will be managed under the auspices of IDEA. Created earlier this summer [public hearing minutes, please], the division drives transformation of LAUSD schools by fostering school innovation proposals and community partnerships while benchmarking and replicating best practices and accountability measures districtwide. [Antonio is a supporter of Semilla. Is he going to benchmark HIS non-profit business model off of that one?]

"I am delighted that the Mayor is partnering with LAUSD through our new Innovation Division [division, as in what it is doing to LAUSD] and look forward to working with them to improve outcomes for students as the Chair of the Charters and IDEA Committee,” said Board Member Marlene Canter. [Oh no...no wonder Canter is more mayoral muppet friendly on Charter approval stuff. They "initiated" her into the gang with a "Charter/IDEA" Chair position.

The Mayor’s office, through the partnership, will employ a team and develop a comprehensive plan to serve the families of schools and coordinate services to improve the surrounding communities. [Watch out for use the word “employ team” in the same sentence as “comprehensive”. (That’s Antonio’s way of saying, “Lots of spending will be needed to cover everyone....I mean everything.” ) Lots of consultants, project supervisors and people from Latham & Watkins will need to be involved in this partnership with the community.]

“I look forward to working with the Mayor on partnerships that will focus on kids and improving their academic achievement,” said Board Member Richard Vladovic. [Me too Dr. V. But if I know Antonio, this has nothing to do with that. Like when he campaigned on “family values.” This guy has a shameless history as a shell game master. Ask around. See if the people he makes promises to get a shred of what they were promised. And now a bunch of suckers just voted in a school board that is giving the shadiest politician in LA history more increased budget autonomy and funding, increased flexibility from LAUSD policies and the possibility of modified collective bargaining agreements for “Mr. Values and Ethics'” new (comprehensive) non-profit organization. Hey Tony Soprano, check this guy out. He can teach you some new "innovative" tricks.

Concerns:

* Flexible funding sources? Like the (conflict of interest based) private fundraising he did for AB 1381/LAUSD school board candidate backing when he raised private money from people needing Villaraigosa's approval for major projects in the City.

* School construction budget concern: Under Mayor's AB 1381, anything construction spending under $250,000 doesn’t need approval? What's the current situation? Don’t let them up it to $3 million the way they Riordan's failed mayoral takeover team wanted to.

* Front-end loaded contract concerns. Who is going to get to sit on his non-profit board? He gets to use the mayor’s office to fundraise for his private charity under the guise of LAUSD/kids, then he gets to spend that money however he wants and give it to whoever he wants. ZD WANTS TO SIT ON THE BOARD AND TAKE A SALARY, PLEASE!

* Basically, instead of one focused effort to transform LAUSD, you have a divided school board, pulling in different directions with no one vision. And now, besides a bunch of Charters being approved with no accountability or standardization (a million charter operators can have a million different methods/no standardization/no uniformity), you're letting the shadiest, non-result producing mayor in U.S. history grab a hold of the steering wheel, too, with his more "flexible, autonomous, private non-profit. (Once the money goes in, there's no accountability.) Just call Antonio "David Cofferfield. Cause he's real good at making the coffers disappear.

* This whole order of business and idea for all of this was decided upon by Antonio and his muppet school board. CAN I PLEASE SEE THE MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THIS?

I hope the Mr. Mayoral Control plans on filling out a 700 form!

zumadogg@gmail.com

CLICK READ MORE FOR MORE:

“Today we are pouring the foundations for a historic partnership between LAUSD and the City that will transform L.A. schools and fundamentally reconfigure what education means for students, teachers and parents in Los Angeles,” Mayor Villaraigosa said.

[Who wrote that meaningless crap? You’re not ‘pouring the foundations’, you are announcing that you are ‘pouring the foundations’. Be careful saying, “WILL transform”. How do you know? This is just a big experiment. Chose your words more carefully please. That’s 100% rhetoric. “Fundamentally reconfigure.” We’ll that’s true. Fundamentally good or bad is the question.]

“This is the first time that the communities of Los Angeles and the school district are committing – as partners – to changing the culture and conditions, and at our lowest-performing schools.”

[It is? What the heck have they been trying to do the past thirty years? Deming says beware meaningless exhortations. Just because you proclaim, “This is the first time...” Doesn’t mean it is the first time it has happened, yet. Just because you say everyone is committing, well the parents have not showed up yet to prove commitment. I’m going to make an exhortation a la Villaraigosa. Zuma Dogg has partnered with the people of Los Angeles for the first time to commit to jumping out of our cars and taking much more mass transportation! (That doesn’t mean it’s the case.)]

“This creates a framework for a partnership that will foster innovation and student achievement in our schools,” said Superintendent Brewer. “Our commitment is to work together to propose specific partnerships to families of schools, with approval of partnership contracts by the Board of Education in the coming months. Our mutual goal is to work collaboratively to ensure that children in these schools graduate from high school college-prepared and career ready.” [See Brewer knows how to avoid propaganda/rhetoric through strategic wording: Words like “foster” and ”mutual goal” keep keeps it credible, as opposed to Antonio’s exhortations how “for the first time” this “will” happen.].

Zuma Dogg Meets New LAUSD School Board and Steve Barr of Green Dot (Kinda the same thing?!?!)

Zuma Dogg has been talking about LAUSD since a little over a year now, since AB 1381 first came through LA City Council chambers for a vote Mayor Villaraigosa needed to send his mayoral takeover plan up to Sacramento (which eventually became AB 1381).

And it's been countless hours not only on City TV 35, but most the radio on Mark "Mr. K Germain's (old) KABC show, and now on his K-Talk 1150 show warning about concerns with the mayor's shady AB 1381 bill, and now shady takeover of the LAUSD school board through his 4 out of 7 majority. (And it appears as though Marlene Kanter will be cooperating with the other four, on certain occasions.)

One thing was pretty clear by reading the annunal order of business and by attending yesterday's meeting: The four mayoral backed boardmembers are there to keep Superintendent David Brewer on a tight leash, and not really let him take charge and do it his way.

CLICK READ MORE:

Dr. Richard Vladovick appears to be the CM Parks of the bunch (fiscalist), but didn't attack Brewer, too hard, on an issue he challenged; and Brewer ended up getting the flexibility he needed on the issue.

It's obvious though, that Yoli Flores Aguilar is the "bad cop" in the mayor's camp, who appeared to be reading a speech of a piece of paper in front of her. And it sure did sound exactly like the stuff ZD has heard out of mayoral spin doctors (some seen here on this blog). Hilarious. And as soon as she came off the page, she tanked.

Then, this rookie boardmember (Yoli Flores Aguilar), decides to start pushing around Superintendent Brewer, hollering how there's waste and beuracracy to find the money she was demanding.

Hey Yoli...chill out, babe. We all know LAUSD is a black-hole of waste and beuarcracy: But your second meeting is not time to start looking like you are the enemy of the school board. You gotta work on your diplomacy. A little PR panashe.

I mean Yoli, take a look what I said. I had a lot more to say, and everyone has heard me say it on radio, tv and blog. But that was my first meeting, so I didn't go in blazing like my 50th Council meeting. You are only on your second meeting. So chill babe! You're being devicive.

Meanwhile, the future does NOT look good for LAUSD for all the reasons I feared a year ago on Mr. K's show. You basically have a Brady Bunch situation. Two famlies thrown together and told to play nice in the sandbox.

But they are deciding to play "tug of war". What you have is the previous three members of the school board (and probably David Brewer) who are towing the teacher's union line (pulling UTLA's side of the rope); while you have the other four members on a mission to take the ball out the failing LAUSD hands. (Sorry when I say "failing", that DOES seem to be the perception.)

That's where mi amigo Steve Barr comes in. One of the big issues at LAUSD was Locke in Watts, that was there for approval of a first time Charter partnership between a private operator (Green Dot) and LAUSD.

This deal is different because it's not just LAUSD approving a Charter School for Barr's Green Dot to operate. At Locke, we are talking a "partnership" between the Broad/Gates backed "public school" operator and LAUSD.

I asked Barr if Charter's are a better idea because they can produce better results for the same amount of money (or less money) because they don't have the beauracy of LAUSD, isn't teaming up with LAUSD dragging down the efficeincy, right off the bat?

Barr says his goal is to help LAUSD learn how to operate like a Charter themselves. Teaching them his model and tricks of the trade. So instead of just giving LAUSD some sushi, he wants to teach them how to fish.

And Barr says he is perfectly willing to work with LAUSD in any capacity in helping the school board operate more like a Charter. (Which is supposed to be more efficently operated.)

AND, I was fortunate to be able to walk over to Green Dot offices, just down the street from LAUSD (temporary headquarters only) and I got to see the whole operation. And I must say, it does look pretty steal. Looked a lot like the radio stations I used to work at. And the small staff of employees ran about 10 schools out of the office.

Now, ZD has blogged and shouted about his concerns with the charter movement regarding the $20 billion construction and facilities budget and the "front-end loaded" management contracts that allows way too much of the money to be skimmed off the top, the way people are concerned Charters are skimming all the top students off the LAUSD crop.

However, ZD does feel, even if a CERTAIN amount of the money is falling off the truck in the proccess, if Charter operators are able to raise the API scores; then I guess it can't be any worse than the money being wasted by the public LAUSD.

See, Charters fall into that catagory of "taking public money and handing it over to the private sector through non-profit groups. But they are not required to fill out a form 700 and there is no accountability.

Now here are a few problems I see with Charters, besides previously mentioned issues.

Now Green Dot HAS proven to go into some pretty challenging districts and improve API scores. (Especailly in reading. Math seems to be harder to catch students up to par with once kids are at the high school level. So Green Dot hopes to open some middle schools to start teaching math earlier.) Point is, if ZD is not mistaken, Steve has gone into some pretty tough districts and improved the situation.

So now Eli Braod and Bill Gates have invested in Green Dot. And Barr has a long history with ZD's amigo Antonio V, of the 213. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long of a history for the comfort of some of ZD's LAUSD mentors. But you can't turn back time, Steve Barr has ten schools; he has the knowlegable David Tokofsky working with him; and yeah...Although Green Dot isn't the only Charter operator out there, isn't it kinda the mayor's prefered vendor? Of course.

So with the relationship with the Mayor's office, Broad and Gates (and whoever else) backing his effort; I think Green Dot wants to open about 100 charter schools in the LAUSD district.

Only problem is where are they going to build them? All the existing (already built) space is taken up by commerial owners like Cushman-Wakefield, or whoever. So it's always easier and cheaper to build a new school, I guess.

So if there isn't enough space to build a hundred new schools (500 students per school), look for a bunch of people to start losing their homes under Eminent Domian, if Green Dot is able to "max-out".

Now, maybe they should be able to take the ball and run with it, because everyone knows it's easier and cheaper to buy a new tv, than to fix a broken one. So the mayor, barr, four board members (and everyone who wears their color tshirts) feels LAUSD and their status quo teachers union need to be stripped of the ball.

Now some folks do not like the way the mayor's team (and Nucklehead Nunez' team) played ball during AB 1381 and during the board elections. (Where mayor spent millions of privately raised dollars from people pending aprovals on some pretty big projects with the city.)

But as far as the Mayor, Barr, Broad, Riordan, Nunez and anyone else who wanted COMPLETE mayoral takeover, if not this watered down version: You can't argue that they needed an intervention. And Charter schools SHOULD be able to do the job better because they can have smaller classroom sizes, more attention to the student, less beuracracy and all that.

And the reality is, you ain't gonna fix LAUSD this way. It's a tug-of-war, I think Brewer is the greatest and I wish I could go with him, but there's way too much beuracracy and diviciness and the direction is heading to Charters.

So here are some concerns:

* If Green Dot wants to do a hundred schools, is the community gonna roll over when homes have to be taken. (Tenant displacement)

* There are MANY different Charter operators. You got Green Dot and you got Semilla. So like any industry, bad competition gives the whole industry a bad name. Here's the concern. If you have a hundred Charter schools with a hundred different operators, how do you control the uniforminty and standards? At that point, it's all about the API. But then, you better make sure every single Charter is re-approved each year based on one thing and one thing only: API scores. And if you miss them "X" amount of years in a row...ADIOS!

* Charters are paid by per student attendance. So if you have problematic kids in some of these Charters, they are not disciplined or kicked out because it means less money to the school operator. So they don't crack down on problem kids at some of the shadier Charters.

But overall, as concerned as ZD is about taking public money and handing it over to private non-[rofit operators who are not required to fill out a Form 700, and all the conflicts ZD has expressed concern and proof of regarding Charters, and the "front-end loaded" management contracts concerns (that skims too much off the top, and you have Belmont Part Infinity.

HOWEVER, ZD does feel after meeting Steve Barr of Green Dot that the guy believes in what he is doing, believes he has the plan and can replicate it. And he has the leadership qualities to move it forward and have people like Bill Gates and Eli Broad support you.

My computer time is about to end. And that's a great place to end this starting point thread about LAUSD.

Looks like it's gonna be a tug of war between the mayor's team and the teachers union. With the union supporters trying to defend a guerilla warfare attack by Villaraigosa's team. And ZD says LAUSD is going down. Next step, with more students going to Charters, the mayor's team will want to cut LAUSD administration budget accordingly.

AND WHY DOES ZUMA DOGG THINK THIS VIDEO SHOWS THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION. (Medium, not content) I hope to bring more of this to LAUSD and Charters.

http://operator11.com/shows/3291/episodes/13540

zumadogg@gmail.com

Is Villaraigosa's New #2 Policy Advisor Going To Step Down As President of His "Public Counsel" Group?

PUBLIC NOTICE:WATCH ZUMA DOGG ON KCLS/PBS FOR LAUSD BOARD MEETING ON TUESDAY MORNING IF I CAN DRAG MY ASS FROM MY SANTA MONICA BEACH CONDO TO DOWNTOWN SKID ROW AREA FOR THE MEETING. It doesn't look good. (Can someone build a subway to the sea by 9am?)

DOES THIS TIE INTO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING/NON-PROFIT BOONDOGGLE ZUMA DOGG FEARS IS BEING PERPETUATED ON PUBLIC COFFERS? FEATURED COMMENT: MAV appoints the president and chief executive of Public Counsel to be his new deputy chief of staff, so that MAV can have the backing of 3,600 volunteer lawyers to defend the $2,500 toilet in an affordable project?

Is this move by Antonio like taking a shady dandilion and blowing it all over the city when it comes to non-profit/affordable housing scams? Is this his way of setting up the privatization shady factor at a mushroom rate of geometric progression. Man, the Charter school operators must really be jealous.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced today he had hired Dan Grunfeld as his No. 2 policy advisor/Deputy Chief of Staff. Grunfeld is president and chief executive of Public Counsel, the largest organization in the United States that provides legal aid to the poor and disenfranchised.

Grunfeld will coordinate Villaraigosa's policy agenda.

Public Counsel has a $7-million budget and provides $66 million in legal representation each year. With 3,600 volunteer lawyers, the group helps low income communities form nonprofits and nonprofit developers who want to build affordable housing.

The Beverlywood resident said he had a background in policy, having teamed up with Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley to fight elder abuse and having sued Kaiser Permanente over the alleged dumping of homeless patients on skid row.

QUESTION #1: Is Mr. Public Counsel going to remain Mr. Public Counsel now that he is Villarigosa Counsel? I'm sure he is and the Times just forgot to mention it, because it sounds like that would be a Conflict Counsel?

It says on Public Counsel's 990 form from 2004 (signed July 2006), that Dan's position is "full time" and since he got paid $184,560 plus $21,509 in benefits (including plenty of public and government grant money) the people want to make sure he isn't losing any of that "full time" spending it with Antionio as his #2 policy advisor.

AND, ZD is interested in contacting Public Counsel for some of those free legal services for people like me. Can I call him at Public Counsel to help me sue the City on a matter that is of interest to me. Anyway, although I did not read in the Times article that he would be stepping down from Public Counsel, I'm sure he is. Cause there seems to be more conflicts than a Glassell Park NC meeting.

AND IF THIS GUY WAS AS TRUE A COMMUNITY ASSET AS PEOPLE ARE SAYING HE IS...ISN'T IT TOO BAD ANTONIO RIPPED HIM AWAY FROM THOSE PEOPLE AND WILL NOW BE PUTTING HIM TO USE ON THE DARK SIDE.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO WARN ME ABOUT THE WAY ANTONIO OPERATES. (See "The Godfather") And now it is all kinda coming together, with all these non-profit/affordable housing dots being connected in the mind of Zuma Dogg. Here's some unreleased material that seems to fit now:

The way Villaraigosa camp works is the following. Villaraigosa team hires people away from outside companies, organizations and non-profit organizations that he seeks to destroy and/or takeover.

CLICK READ MORE FOR MORE "INSIDE VILLAGROSA"

For example, the Mayor wants to take over LAUSD, so he infiltrates the school board with his people; and hires away from within the LAUSD administration and puts them to work for him.

Or he’ll hire away legal advisors and consultants to get them on his side, and get their knowledge and contacts and they all get put to work on these gravy train wagons he sets up and sends off into the streets.

He manages to get his friends elected onto neighborhood council boards, and it’s no secret he has moles throughout the council system.

If he needs to squelch/control the media; he hires reporters to work for him as publicists, consultants, PR, etc.

He wants support from an activist group; he hires from the group that he wants to infiltrate/get inside scoop/information from. And people claim he has a few undocumented people on his staff. You won’t find them on the payroll, because they are paid as “consultants” through non profits.

ANYWAY...if ZD is concerned about the affordable housing/non-profit boondoggle, this looks like the master consultant to hire away from the other side to help you set up a bunch of non-profit shady factories to get as much as the affordable housing money that will be rolled out to help "fix the problem" of all these people flooding to this great city over the next decade.

It Might Take A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION To Solve The City's Homeless, Housing and Traffic Problems Since Local News Media Is Like "Tommy"

Why Solve City Problems When City Officials Are Making Money Off The Problem?by Zuma DoggIf you are able to think like this, you may have a future as Mayor, Councilmember, elected official or Gravy Train Riding Crony (How to think like a successful elected politician):

First of all, if there is no apparent problem, create one. There is no money to be made unless you are raising and spending money. So find a problem, because where there is a problem, there is a solution. And the solution will have to involve new money. (Yea!)

But, a lot of times, there are creative solutions that don’t cost a lot of money, or no money at all. Now THAT’S a real problem for a politician. Make sure you don’t let any of THOSE solutions get out there. So remember, if you want to model a powerful elected official in the City of Los Angeles, like a mayor or councilmember, if you are able to find a problem that needs fixing, but it won’t take a lot of new money to throw at the problem; don’t waste your time. You won’t be able to generate any interest. And you won’t be able to generate any money for you and your cronies.

So once you filter out the non-profitable problems that do not require the infusion of new money, and you have selected a warm and fuzzy City problem (like kids, homeless, affordable housing, seniors, crime reduction, etc.) that you can put a good spin on – you are ready to start hiring consultants, lobbyists, cronies, friends, relatives, whoever else you can use to drive up total cost. And oh yeah, you will need plenty of contractors. (The more the better!)

And at the same time you are ready to start asking for the new money needed to fix this important new problem that needs the full attention and resources of the City. Perhaps there is some bond money available, you can raise taxes, subsidize, create new taxes, invent new fees, and solicit money from the private sector. (But it almost always comes from the public revenue sources.)

Now you have a ballgame! A win-win situation. Except for the pueblos who end up losing by paying for it. Because now that you have money being thrown at the problem, you wanna make sure they don’t stop throwing it. And one way to make sure the problem never gets solved is to siphon enough money off the top so there isn’t enough to get the job done.

Then, they come back and ask for (and get) more money to keep the gravy train rollin’ down the shady non-profit highway!

IF ZUMA DOGG WAS MAYOR, he would put together a City, County and State task force and start solving these problems immediately. One of the problems is that there is too much finger pointing, and blame-deflection instead of simply stamping out the fire and fixing the problem. ZD is of the belief all the right answers are out there in the community and inside the City, County and State departments. There is just too much bureaucracy, and too many people surfing the wave of public funds for their own financial enhancement.

IT WILL TAKE PUBLIC PRESSURE TO CUT BACK ON THIS. AND THE PEOPLE WOULD LIKE JANICE HAHN OR SOMEONE TO CALL FOR A TASK FORCE.

First of all, we need to question the inventory of some of these affordable housing construction projects. ZD hears it’s an open secret with at least one (certain) citywide construction company that the city gave a bunch of money to for redevelopment, not only about the lazy-ass, shabby work; but looting the materials purchased by the housing authority for these public work projects and they end up on other people’s private jobs.

MAY THE PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES SUGGEST AN INVENTORY CHECK OF THESE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THE CITY IS GIVING MONEY TO?

The issue needs a Federal investigation because the local jurisdiction may be compromised at the City and State level.

We want to start seeing some accountability with all of this public money. Because you can’t seem to fix the traffic, schools, homeless problem, crime or anything else. That’s because inappropriately excessive amount of the money makes it into people’s pockets and the rest is wasted through bureaucracy, fraud, waste and abuse.

I KNOW THE POLITICIANS AREN’T GOING TO JUMP OFF THE GRAVY TRAIN, JUST YET. SO LET’S START ATTACKING THE FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE WITH THE MONEY THAT IS LEFT OVER! (That’s a good middle-ground starting point. And who knows, if you are able to improve the efficiency with the rest of the money that you don’t pilfer, maybe THAT will be enough to start seeing a noticeable improvement.)

These public-private shell game schemes are getting more and more complicated. (See Grand Ave Project where even the CRA spokesperson says, “The most complicated deal in every aspect. Bureaucratic? Yes.”) And as the depth of shadiness gets deeper and deeper; accountability and transparency gets shadier and shadier. It’s getting harder to what is happening in the darkness on the edge of town where it all goes down.

And if the mainstream media would shine a little light on this darkness, I think they would recognize a lot of familiar faces. Again, it will probably take a FEDERAL INVESTIGATION to fix this local problem, that is quickly becoming a NATIONAL problem.

Oh no...Zuma Dogg may now only be the #2 top Deming expert in the City after LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer, III delivered his (first) Annual Meeting speech to LAUSD educators, yesterday.

As skeptical as I am of the new mayoral-backed majority school board, I am here to say, if nothing else, Superintendent Brewer did what ZD has probably never actually seen delivered in a real life setting: An inspiring leadership speech that passed the Deming checklist flawlessly. For those of you who hear me speak about Deming, and how his methods need to be implemented and are maybe wondering what that means in the real world; start by watching Brewer's speech on this video and the entire speech is posted below:

And Superintendent Brewer, thank you so much for showin' suckaz how it's done!

ZD SURE IS HEARING ABOUT THE SOUTHWEST MUSEUM/AUTRY/GRIFFITH PARK EXPANSION ISSUE AGAIN: Like how the Autrys (and their hired firm Latham & Watkins) are stepping on some major merger agreement toes in some peoples' opinion...lots of peoples' opinion!)

Oh no...wait until after Labor Day break...those Southwest Museum Supporters in the Community are probably gonna be making their voices heard. And I understand it's been a pretty juice soap opera, over the past three or four years, that will be unfolding on this and hopefully many other blogs.

Zuma Times and Mayor Sam's Sister City have learned that the city has released the EIR for SW Museum. Public comment period is only 45 days and are due by Oct 1st.

NEWS BEFORE IT HAPPENS: As soon as they get the comments back, some [agendized] professional firm will write responses; then they will try and get thier permits approved to expand Griffith Park.

The community memebers contacting Zuma Times want the Autrys to reduce the project and not make the SW Musuem a reason (excuse) to expand Griffith Park.

There was never an overall master plan for the entire Autry institution. So there is no study that provides any evidence that the SW museum cannot stay where it is. SW Museum is being used as a pawn in a plan/excuse to expand Griffith Park.

The agreement was to market SW Museum separately and have the museum keep its own identity. Not have the artifacts removed from the area and be used to bolster the Autry name while wiping away the Southwest identity.

Latham and Watkins was hired a long time ago by the Autry Foundation. Watch for Home Depot (Part 2). In other words, the Autry has so few supporters, that they’ll have to pay people to show up in support like Home Depot did. Expect busses of people who have no idea what they are supporting. All in the name of Autry, not the Southwest Museum.

And I think the supporters of the Southwest Museum will be making their voices heard over this issue after the summer holiday break. All that the pueblos want, is for the Autry’s to honor the terms of the merger agreement. Just don’t violate the agreement you created to get the deal approved. That’s all the people are asking.

Here we are in 2007 with this modern day cowboys and indians (south)western saga. Would there by any culutre clash having an indian artifact collection in a cowboy pop-culture musuem? How about combining beef into a vegetarian buffet.

zumadogg@gmail.com

Zuma Dogg Report for Thursday August 23, 2007

MEDIA ALERT: If you are a radio talk show host or TV news segment producer, perhaps you can mention Los Angeles County's fantastic 2-1-1 phone service. If you check the LA County website you can see the hundreds, if not thousands, of services provided by the County that people can take advantage of. So please let people know, "If you are doing business in LA County or have a question about any County services, just call 2-1-1. One free call, all county services." [See PSA at bottom of this thead]

LA Times has a lot of good stories today. Also some stuff from Daily News and LA Weekly. Check em out online.

ZD PSA: Find out all the services available to you in the County of Los Angeles from business services, health care, parks, community outreach, museums, housing, busses, benefits, literacy, arts, culture, recreation; the whole city, the whole county... available online Click here for online directory of LA County Services or just call 2-1-1 to be connected.

UPDATE: The 2-1-1 call center is funded with $7.5 million a year in grant money: SO PLEASE USE IT EVERY CHANCE YOU GET! AND NOW THAT ZD KNOWS THE 2-1-1 IS PAID FOR WITH GRANT MONEY...Can the BOS please call City Council and do a Friday "Presentation and Proclomation" on the 2-1-1 service? From 211 website: If your organization would like a presentation on how clients can access 211 LA County for health and human service providers in their communities, please call (626) 350-1841 ext. 2187 or e-mail Mary@211LA.org. Hey 2-1-1...call 3-1-1 and ask for Antonio.

LOS ANGELES MEDIA ALERT: Is There More Profit To Be Made Building Affordable "Non-Profit" Housing Than There Is In the Private "For-Profit" Market?

Is LA City’s affordable housing policy ONE BIG F-ING RACKET?

How you can make much bigger profits building non-profit affordable housing than the luxury for-profit stuff and how this drives up cost per unit and we therefore get way less units, then Jan Perry has to pretend like more has to be done, when all that has to be done is stop running a cahoots racket that allows a few well connected developers in the know to run a shell game scam on the City and the public.

I can hear “The Broadfather” crying to Robin and the Mayor, now: “Boo hoo hoo, Antonio and Robin. I have this great idea for a fantastic project that will save the City, but I can’t do it without subsidies and hotel tax breaks, even though we initially said it would all be privately funded at no cost to the City.” I can imagine Wendy Greuel saying, “Yeah, it will be great! You can walk across the street with your kids on a Saturday morning from Mocha or Disney Hall. Just ignore all the aggressive panhandlers, though. As long as you don’t look them in they eye, and just ignore them, they may leave you alone.” Zuma adding, “Yeah Antonio, you should build Grand Avenue Project first, then start taking the actual measures to address the problem of the skid row nation expanding throughout LA City streets.

IS THIS HOW “AFFORDABLE HOUSING” DEVELOPERS ARE LAUGHING THEIR ASS OFF AT THE “MARKET RATE” DEVELOPERS BECAUSE YOU CAN MAKE WAY MORE PROFIT BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING; AND SINCE THE PROFIT IS BASED OFF PUBLIC MONEY THAT DEVELOPERS ARE GIVEN TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE END UP WITH A MUCH HIGHER TOTAL COST PER UNIT; AND THEREFORE FAR FEWER AFFORDABLE UNITS THAN WE SHOULD BE GETTING FOR THE MONEY? (Who says ZD needs to be re-written by editors?)

Up next: De Leon's AB 31 ($400 million non-profit money for parks and recreation.) This is the issue that introduced ZD to the term "sunset clause" and triggered this entire "shady" non-profit alert:

zumadogg@gmail.com

Wouldn't It Be Great For The Grand Ave Project Developers If They Could Build The Affordable Housing "Off-Site", or Cut It Back

To everyone reading wondering why ZD is going big with his coverage of Grand Avenue Project. A project with a $2 billion dollar plus starting tag, that includes public land and subsidies, that you are letting the current city hall and county board of supervisors in charge of deserves the highest level of attention. HEY TALK SHOW HOSTS AND MEDIA NEWS REPORTERS...YOU GOTTA ROLL WITH ME ON THIS ONE. IT'S A HUGE PROJECT WITH LAYERS AND LAYERS OF LOOPHOLES AND ESCAPE CLAUSES, and if you want to take down the fraud, waste and abuse that plauges the City, this is the big enchilada, y'all!!! LA Live is big, too...but this project is supposed to be the big philintropic "civic activism" project on Broad's part -- but more importantly, is the only project of it's kind with the City, County, CRA and private billionaires all working in cahoots. I HOPE SOME OF THE OTHER NEWSPAPERS IN TOWN PICK UP ON THIS. YOU'LL SEE. I'm gonna shine the spotlight on as much shadiness as I can uncover. But that's like trying to capture Niagra Falls with a Dixie cup.

WHY WE CANNOT ALLOW THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE SCALED BACK OR MOVED OFF-SITE

Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti reminds us, “I want to thank the developers. Because there is a huge risk in this. And in fact, if we didn’t have a developer who was willing to put their own money forward on this, there is a huge risk and I don’t think we would have had the package of affordable housing on-site...if we didn’t have a developer who believed in this, as well.”

[And let’s hope they continue to believe in it until the affordable units are built and occupied.]

Councilmember Janice Hahn also noted on-record during the same LA City Council meeting where the Project was unanimously approved, “And yes, we had some governmental intrusion on this project, by demanding certain things; but yes, we got back a tremendous benefit in so many ways from the open space [THAT WE ALREADY HAVE], to the jobs, to local hiring [how does that help the majority of people throughout the City like in the Valley and everywhere else outside the range that is considered, “local”. So now you can live in the City of Los Angeles, but still not have equal access to jobs in the City; because you are not considered, “local”.], to the community benefits package and I love the fact that this project will allow people of diverse background, diverse incomes to be living together, side by side.

And I look at Los Angeles, right now; it’s one of the toughest times in terms of inter-racial tension.

And I think projects like this, that encourage people of different backgrounds and incomes, living side by side, reaping the benefits together, will go a long way, I believe, towards improving relationships between all people throughout Los Angeles.

[Let’s call it the “Gandhi Center”!]

And I hope we get to continue to call it the “Gandhi Center”! Cause I know it would be a lot cooler for the developers to take all those 150-200 affordable units “on-site” and move ‘em “off-site”, so you can sell the affordable ones at the Grand Ave Project for a million or so each, and build the affordables “off-site”.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON WHY THE GRAND AVENUE PROJECT DEVELOPERS REALLY CAN'T AFFORD THE COST OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. (Cost as in lost opporutunity.)

It’s bad enough phase one is only penciled in for 100 rentals and zero units of affordable units for purchase. That’s right, phase one includes only 100 rental units, but none for sale for “those” people, thank you! The CRA is “obligated” to provide $10 million for these 100 units. (And yes, they do call it an obligation in the board memo.)

At around $100,000 each per affordable unit, the developer would be losing about a $1 million per unit, for a grand (avenue) total of about $200 million.AND, the best part of the deal if it is moved off-site (for the developers, not the public), is it could cost another $100 million, or so, of public money from wherever it may be found. (And taken.)

Bob Barker told me on the way out the door, if it was a showcase showdown, the developer, contractors, “consultants” and other involved parties (like non-profits) could make another $40-$50 million if the affordable housing is built off-site.Plus, you must factor in that affordable housing could have been built in that area anyway. (If the affordable housing is built off-site, it will be in an area that they would want to build affordable housing in, anyway.

So now, all you have done is eliminated the added affordable housing that the project was supposed to be adding to the downtown area and to the city, and add on the added financial bonanza of being able to make a whole bunch of extra money by building a separate project. And since it will be the same developer, and they will get the perceived credit in the mind of the public (since the City will position it that way, if this is allowed to happen), no one will notice, except the official activist watchdog groups, that are more like lapdogs these days, cause Antonio has them all neutered.

But I feel confident that this won’t happen because Janice Hahn and Eric Garcetti just told us why it needs to stay on-site. And Janice told us that this was a fact before approving the project.

So I’m sure the community benefits packages and affordable housing units must be included on-site at the Grand Avenue Project. (Whew!)

Because I know it’s gonna be tough to feel you are losing out on $200 million, when you could be making an additional $40-$50 million, for a total of an extra $250 million, or so, profit; instead of a loss.

But don’t beat yourself up over the fact that you won’t be able to do this thanks to Councilmembers like Garcetti and Hahn: You sold this project on the concept of the “one-big-happy-family.”

And they even made provisions to make sure the low-income, property-value-devaluating, “affordable” residents, get to use the same entrances, lobbies and walkways as the rich and famous. (And if they went so far as to make the provision, let’s make sure they need it.)

And if you wonder by what method they could wiggle out of the affordable stuff, even though we are told the developer is committed to it: Eli’s “Joint Powers Authority” board memo says, ”Funding plans include “potential” parking revenues -- and CRA Bunker Hill tax increment funds to the extent available.” (And if parking revenue and if the tax funds are not extensive enough, since it is only “potential” revenue, then what? Is Eli Broad gonna panhandle for the money like everyone else in the area?

But here’s the CITIZEN’S ALERT!!!: JPA board memo states, “If developer does not receive CRA tax increment money for the agreed upon affordable housing (like, if they don’t have it) – they may reduce the amount of affordable housing units.”Watch them not have it, and then we don't get the affordable part -- only the un-affordable part…(Price is Right ‘loser’ deflated sound effect…Whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp…whoooooooomp.)

During the term of the ground lease, they cannot convert the affordable housing to condos. But after the lease expires, kick out all the affordable residents and convert them to billion dollar condos. (Man does someone hope they have to break the lease, cause them it won’t be the term no more, y’all and they can get started with the luxury condo conversions.)

The affordable housing covenant only remains in effect for a minimum of 45 years for owners and 55 years for renters, so that means you can forget the covenant as soon as the minimum is up.

And, oh no…It was already mentioned previously how Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Chief of Staff, Robin Kramer worked for Grand Avenue visionary and founder Eli Broad. But was also mentored under the tutelage of Richard Alatorre when she was his Chief Deputy.

If the former CM is an affordable housing lobbyist and consultant, and knows Kramer that well, and is the top advisor to the Mayor of Los Angeles, I could think of no better project to advise yourself as consultant on, than the biggest political and corporate gravy train in town, Grand Avenue Project.

Because the other thing, If you move it off-site (besides the fact you just told us why you are including it as a fact, before you approved it, because that’s how you sold it to the people. (Well, actually, that’s how the developers sold it to council. The people didn’t really have anything to do with any of these decisions.)

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been sent, "On a mission from Broad". And that mission is to get the Grand Avenue project jammed through. If anything is keeping him on life support as a politician with his campaign backers, it's the fact that he must complete this mission.

For those of you who already read the article on this illegal boondoggle, this weekend, I will be presenting additonal information regarding the "nuts and bolts" of this project. (Which is all you need to consider to break out into a panic over the negative impact this project will be imposing on the general fund and the general public.)

Here's a little warm up info to get the ball rolling and we'll work our way up to bigger issues:

The Grand Avenue Project is even worse than Zuma Dogg indicates [“Eli Broad’s Grand Illusion,” July 20–26]. First of all, there’s the increased traffic it will create. The existing freeways through and around downtown are already at gridlock much of the time, as are the surface streets downtown. Any attempt to increase the capacity of any of these freeways will be horrifically expensive, even if their capacity could be increased. As the Legislature is considering cutting substantial amounts from the transportation budget, these costs would have to be borne by local taxpayers.

Then there is water. We are in the midst of a major drought. The Legislature wants local government to bear the costs of increasing water capacity. There’s no sign the developers of Grand Avenue will be asked to pay the costs of bringing in the additional water their project will require. Once again, the taxpayers will have to pay for this, if it is done at all. In a rational world, local government would put a moratorium on all development until we figure out where the water will come from and who will pay this cost. But this is not a rational world.

Finally, as Zuma Dogg says, we don’t need this development. We’ve seen vanity books, vanity movies, vanity cars, vanity houses. And now we have a vanity redevelopment project, no different except in scale and no more useful than the 16,000-square-foot houses some people want to build. - Stanton J. Price, Glendale

THE PARK IS A CENTRAL CONCERN: I think the park is central to the story (no pun intended). Like what non-profit will get to develop the county park? The city charter says ONCE A DEDICATED PARK, A DEDICATED park forever. [So how come Related Company gets to develop it?] This will set a precident, and all the parks will go non-profit and out of the public's trust.

THAT'S A HUGE ANGLE..cause parks are developed by the city now...kevin de leon is talking about turning the parks over to non-profits to buy the property/existing faciities/build new park and rec facilities.

And when philantrapists donated land for parks to the city (dedicate it originally) they put in clauses like they must remain public or revert back to the family.

The Grand Ave Project is turning over the park development to be developed by a non-profit, developed by a board -- anyone they choose can be on it, there is no fair game appointment to be on this board, it could be developers on this board, people from New York, any body.

It diminishes the vote. Because you cannot vote for, or remove a boardmemebr on anon-profit. The public has no voice.

WENDY GREUEL'S CONSTITUENTS IN THE VALLEY NOT EXACTLY THRILLED: CM Greuel said..."I know we have some people who are vert apprehensive in the Valley. Thos of us who represent, “What does it mean for us?” It means the ability to help attract people to that Downtown. And I have come Down on numerous occasion over the weekend and over at Disney Hall, the excitement you see with the kids and my three and a half year old was there on a Saturday morning. People walking on Grand Avenue, People going to Mocha, and being able to cross the street and go to Disney Hall. That’s what we want to see Downtown. That’s something that we think is critical to, ‘I think’, the future of the City.

[Really? When you look at the “critical” issues the City faces, I doubt any poll would rank, “crossing the street to Disney Hall from Mocha on Saturday morning” as anything measurable. As in “public wants or needs.”]

Even Wendy Greuel admitted to the public on a televised Council meeting, “I got an email from one of my constituents who said, “It’s gonna ‘dwarf’ the Music Center, Mocha and Disney Hall.”

ERIC GARCETTI: And one of the reasons that I support this and I am voting for this today, is not just on the project…I’m voting for this project because we need affordable housing in this City; and that is even a higher priority. [YES ERIC, THANKS FOR POINTING THAT OUT…THIS PROJECT MAY, OR MAY NOT INCLUDE CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THAT. And the money for that "affordable housing" was there anyway? But if that is an even higher priority, why are you building this? It's like taking the Airbus to drive to the bus.]

GARCETTI: You know, Downtown gets beat-up a lot, but when you look at parking revenues, pays tens of millions of dollars more that it receives, so the City can have services like police and fire and paramedics and streets that are paved, and trash collected.

[REALLY??? WHERE ARE THEY??? I THOUGHT YOU JUST RAISED TRASH COLLECTION FEES TO HIRE MORE COPS, BUT HAVEN’T HIRED THE COPS YET?]

GARCETTI: Downtown is the most vital economic engine to out city and our investment in downtown is something that not only the people who live downtown have a stake in, but everyone within the borders of the city have a stake in as well.

EG: (Thank you) Eli Broad, who took this on as “Civic Activism”. [OH REALLY, IS IT IN THE CITY’S CHARTER TO GET INVOLVED IN ‘ACTIVISM” WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON A RISKY INVESTMENT ACCORDING TO ANTONOVICH?]

EG: I want to thank the developers. Because there is a huge risk in this. And in fact, if we didn’t have a developer who was willing to put their own money forward on this, there is a huge risk and I don’t think we would have had the package of affordable housing on-site, the package of living wage jobs, the package of economic growth that we would if we didn’t have a developer who believed in this, as well.

[HOW MANY TIMES DID HE SAY “HUGE RISK” THAT’S WHAT WE ARE ALL SAYING…YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE “HUGE RISKS” TO PROVIDE THESE BASIC THINGS YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING WITH THE MONEY ANYWAY!!!]

JANICE HAHN: And yes, we had some governmental intrusion on this project, by demanding certain things…but yes, we got back a tremendous benefit in so many ways from the open space [THAT WE ALREADY HAVE], to the jobs, to local hiring [how does that help the valley, et al], to the community benefits package and I love the fact that this project will allow people of diverse background, diverse incomes to be living together, side by side. And I look at Los Angeles, right now, It’s one of the toughest times in terms of inter-racial tension. And I think projects like this, that encourage people of different backgrounds and incomes, living side by side, reaping the benefits together, will go a long way, I believe, towards improving relationships between all people throughout Los Angeles. [LETS CALL IT “THE GHANDI CENTER”!?!?]

JAN PERRY: We insured that the developers understood that the ‘highest priority’, or one of the ‘highest priorities’, to bring open space and to make it available to all of us, all Angelinos. [First of all, the open space is already there, Jan! Secondly, "bringing existing open space" is NOT really a top priority, if you had your priorities straight. Is the mayor holding press conferences over the urgent need to fix the "open space" crisis?]

HOW GOOD FOR THE CITY CAN THIS PROJECT BE IF THEY HAVE GIVEN EVERY REASON WHY WE NEED TO BUILD THIS, EXCEPT THE REASON IT IS BEING BUILT. AND IF IT IS SUCH A GREAT BUSINESS MODEL FOR THE CITY (SINCE THEY ARE PLAYING DONALD TRUMP ON THIS PROJECT), AS PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, WHY CAN'T RELATED COMPANY BUILD IT WITHOUT ALL THE SUBSIDIES???

MORE TO COME THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND: This was just the easy stuff to get out of the way.

zumadogg@gmail.com

Illegal Vending Allowed To Spread Throughout Los Angeles Under Villaraigosa: A threat to safety and economy other U.S. Mayors wouldn't allow

Illegal Vending: A safety and economic threat Villaraigosa is allowing in a U.S. marketplace.Now that street vendors are popping up in greater numbers and in new areas throughout the Streets of Los Angeles; what impact will this have on the Los Angeles business, safety and health?

If you take a look around the City, you may notice a new wave of underground economy taking to the streets of Los Angeles: Street vending. It’s a lot of fun…like the world’s biggest flea market, each and every day, right there with no frills, no overhead and no safety or accountability.

All at a time when business owners are hit with skyrocketing operating expenses, in a recession-teetering economy, where restaurant and retail owners have to compete with the mega-centers on one end, and business owners in Los Angeles must also compete with anyone in the world who wants to come to America and set up shop, anywhere on the sidewalk, and sell anything you want, like food or illegally pirated and bootlegged merchandise flown in from overseas by terrorists or whoever decides they want to make beau coup dollars illegally while, undermining the U.S. economy.

And these business owners not only face higher operating expenses on the job, among the new illegal flank attack on the tax revenue generating business, products and services that drive this city and its economy; but when they get home they have to pay their bulky item fee, solid waste fee, trash collection fee, higher gas taxes, and all the other homeowner related increases and innovations of “personal wealth reduction management” that the City, County and State politicians are so good at.

Under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the city has seen a widespread increase in the number of vendors on the streets and where you are seeing them.

CLICK "READ MORE" TO CONTINUE

In Chinatown, I asked the grocery market owner if the person with the fruit stand in front of his door was part of his store? (It looked like an outdoor display that stores set-up to try to entice customers.)

The store owner shook his head and said, “No”. It’s just something you have to live with I guess. Since the illegal fruit vendor was all set up and cutting off business at the pass.

East L.A., Downtown, South L.A.: On Crenshaw Blvd it looks like a giant flea market, right there on the street, selling any type of bootleg/pirated merchandise, while undercutting the stores they are set up in front of.

And we all know about the Venice Beach vending struggle between the beach vendors and the City of Los Angeles who has banned some first amendment protect items and is being worked out in Federal Court as we speak.

However, the vending mentioned in this article is not that kind of vending. At Venice, the vendors paid a fee, were issued licenses and the area is zones for beach side vending in the painted spaces.

However, I started to notice the previous lower economic area “illegal vending” dispersing to areas I was not used to seeing. For example Venice Beach boardwalk itself. Now I’ve seen a lot of different and unique things sold on the boardwalk.

But one thing that is certainly not allowed to be sold is food. So after fighting for the right to put first amendment items back on the beach, like the tshirts, incense and jewelry people were prevented from selling by police, and after others received tickets and jail time for vending items only to be told by a Federal judge that the City was wrong in the first place, imagine how I felt when I see people cutting up fruit and selling it on the boardwalk?

EXCUSE ME? WHERE’S THE ENFORCEMENT? Can’t sell incense or a t shirt, but FOOD is O.K., right there on the sandy beach boardwalk?

Homie don’t play that. Hey Villaraigosa: Get those f*cking fruit vendors off the beach! What the hell is wrong with you? You arrest people for selling an incense or zuma dogg tshirt, but you will allow anyone to sell food, which opens up some health and safety issues, since I didn’t see the health code rating or any permits on the dirty beach where she was cutting up fruit over the garbage can.

But what triggered this article and outrage over Villaraigosa’s hypocrisy that prevented me and my friends from selling on Venice Beach, after the city sold us permits, while letting every illegal immigrant do whatever they want, wherever they want anywhere across the city occurred today: As I walked through the same parking lot I’ve walked through every morning, in the Venice area, I noticed one of those food trucks you are used to seeing on Hollywood movie shoots. You know, the roach coaches.

As I get closer, although there are people in the lot, it didn’t really look like a movie set, just a roach coach parked in the middle of the parking lot with a bunch of people waiting for the food. There was a cashier with a little table set up in the parking lot.

So I ask the cashier, “Is this private, or for anyone?” She replied, “For Anyone, what would you like?”

Well although I was hungry, I kinda lost my appetite, because I was stressed out over a few things. What if someone has an accident while working on the food truck, or one of the customers has an accident? As the property owner, I wouldn’t be too happy if there was an accident involving people running a food service operation in my parking lot. It is a parking lot, what if a car hits someone while they are patronizing the “establishment”. (Well, it’s not exactly an establishment, though. It’s not established. It just pulls up for the money, then pulls away afterward.)

That’s why we don’t operate businesses in parking lots. It’s a safety hazard. The flies on the plate sitting on the table in front of the cashier were free of charge.And what effect is this going to have on the economy. The donut shop, convenience fooed market, Chinese fast food restaurant, burger shop, even gas station snack food sales will all take a hit as a result of the underground economy that will undermine any serious attempt to revitalize the City.

HEY ANTONIO: Are you anything BUT a hypocrite? I see no evidence of anything else. But let me tell you this, my friend. You are mayor in a city that is located in the United States of America. And it appears, if you look around the city, you need to be reminded of that.

Now ZD is a passionate pragmatist, so let me say, if you are talking about having a food truck show up at a construction site, where you have a bunch of workers, a little too far from the nearest food outlet, who need fast service during lunch hours and doesn’t have time to walk back and forth, well, I’m o.k. with that!

But not right on the sidewalk in front of the doors and parking lots of the retail outlets the city is taxing and fee hiking in the face of increased competition not only from the mega-stores, but now from anyone who feels like doing whatever they want, wherever they want. Unless it’s on Venice Beach. Then you will be ticketed and sent to jail.

HEW ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA…CLEAN UP THE F*CKING ILLEGAL VENDING THAT IS UNDERMINING THE ACTUAL U.S. ECONOMY AND START ACTING LIKE A U.S. MAYOR.

CRA/AEG/MacFarlane Bring You "LA LIVE" $900 Million Condos and More -- Instead of What We Really Need To Revitalitze DowntownBy Zuma Dogg

ANOTHER CRA LUXURY PROJECT BEING BUILT DOWNTOWN AS A BOOKEND TO GRAND AVE PROJECT.[And watch this blog and for much more on this pompous, ego-driven, billion dollar white elephant waiting to happen.]

Just what we need...more five star hotels, botique shops, restaurants and entertainment along "Tumbleweed Connection". I know, I know...build it and they will come. FIRST, YOU BRAG IN LA WEEKLY THAT YOU PLAN ON BUILDING SO MUCH HIGH DENSITY HOUSING THAT TRAFFIC WILL COME TO A GRIDLOCK HAULT. THEN, YOU PLAN ON PEOPLE FLOCKING TO THE AREA TO GO TO PF CHANG'S? Riiiiiiiiight! I think the City should be sticking to basics; prove to the constituents that they can tie their shoelaces (accomplish something). How come the only people that do not see the problem with this are the ones making the money off the development?

Not to say that I am against more of these billion dollar downtown boondoggle projects by the CRA (Community Robbing A-holes)...but I hope an earthquake destroys this enitre project two-seconds after the ribbon cutting ceremony!

(Except, then the CRA would just be happy -- because then -- they could build it all over again, and make the money all over again! I thought the CRA was created to eliminate "blight". The areas where these projects are being constructed in do not always qualify as "blight" (if they). And City Council is not allowed to sit as state representatives as they are currently doing (working with the CRA on State land issues) on Grand Ave project according to attorney Chris Sutton. But as the DA's office can tell you, State and Charter law has never stopped 'em before.)

AND NOW, IF YOU LIKE TRAGIC FAIRYTALES, HERE'S ONE:

The Big Picture Game Plan for Downtown Los Angeles Development:How the city is going to try and buy its’ way to the head of the convention business line/Corner the convention market by any means necessary!

I guess if you raise enough money, or promise to raise enough money (and can convince the politicians you have a shot at doing so) you can just about build anything in this city, at any cost. (And I mean socially and economically, not the final price tag to developers and un-willing residents who end up paying for it, one way, or the other. (See tax hikes, fees, and skyrocketing property owner costs to help pay for what is ahead in the CRA/LA “Billion Dollar Plus” development club. (I’m not even gonna consider anything going on in this town with less than a billion dollar starting price. And all these projected costs are starting prices, because not only are the pueblos expenses skyrocketing, so are construction costs. And with all the planning, financing and construction delays; by the time you actually get the steamrollers rolling, and the developers start piling the cement 50 stories high anywhere they can get away with it, zoning and EIR restrictions, or not (and you think traffic is bad now), the cost has already jumped by at least a couple hundred million dollars; and the developer usually ends up running to the city for some kind of financial bail-out, claiming the project cannot carry on, otherwise.

SIDEBAR ABOUT THE CRA: The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA/LA) of the City of Los Angeles is a public agency established to attract private investment into economically depressed communities, eliminate slums, abandoned or unsafe properties, and blight throughout Los Angeles. The CRA/LA was established by resolution of the Los Angeles City Council in 1948 pursuant to Community Redevelopment Law of the State of California (§§33000 et. Seq. of the Health and Safety Code).

The law specifically mandates that redevelopment agencies act to retain and expand the affordable housing stock. The law requires 20% of the revenues accruing to a redevelopment agency be set aside for affortable housing. CRA/LA has increased its contribution to 25% in projects adopted after January 1, 1994.

This means either tax breaks/subsidies, or flat out money out of the CRA or other fund, that would have gone to something else.

And when you review the business deals these developers cut with the city, you gotta watch for these “sunset clauses”. A typical “small print, sunset clause, bamboozle could include a promise for a certain amount of “affordable housing”. Then put in a sunset clause stating if CRA doesn’t come up with enough “increment money”, then they can cut back on the amount of affordable housing, accordingly.

And of course all the revenue streams the CRA plans on using to raise this money, are new and completely speculative based on things like “expected parking revenues after completion of phase one.” Well, what if those cars don’t start flying into those parking lots as quickly as they expect. And what if phase one gets delayed. Then the CRA can come back and claim, “Well, Gee…we didn’t raise the affordable housing money we promised the developer.” And then all the city gets are the million dollar plus units (and I mean plus) -- but not any of the affordable housing. YOU DON’T THINK THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME? JUST ASK JAN PERRY, MAYBE SHE CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU, SHE’S SO SMART AND LOOKING OUT FOR HER DISTRICT’S BEST INTEREST!

Plus, when it comes to giving developers CRA money to build affordable housing, remember, that money was already earmarked for affordable housing anyway. So, all we are doing is letting the billion dollar developers and their international financial backers profit on the building of the affordable housing, as well as the high-end, five star, luxury stuff!

Sorry, every other local developers in town, and to all their families…No business in town for you! MegaCorp, International (A conglomerate of billionaire developers, their corporate backers and international financial institutions can handle that element, too. (The rich get richer, and everyone else goes out of business and has to leave the state, or take up accommodations somewhere on the sidewalk.) Hey, if Home Depots can put all the local supply companies out of business, why not apply this concept to the entire development process, as well. (Man, I’m starting to think if you want any construction or supply business in this town, you gotta have your kids on council, or pay for the politicians election and buy ‘em into office, so they can pave the way (for you to pave), or something.

So now that we know a little about HOW what is about to get done, is about to get done – let’s review the “master plan” for downtown Los Angeles, Cahootsifornia:

My friend Al Ries (International/Fortune 500 consultant and co-author of “Marketing Warfare” and author of “Focus”) says a product (in this cast the city) must have a narrow, specialized focus that allows the consumer to associate you with a specific benefit. (Be known for something.) Starbucks pulled this off by focusing on “coffee”. Domino’s with “delivery”. (They actually created the whole Domino’s concept from the bottom up. In other words, “OK, we’re gonna be the guys who deliver it in 30 minutes, or less. And built the facilities and zoned the delivery areas accordingly.)

So what is LA known for? (Besides being the open-armed embracer for all who wanna be a part of this fun)…Entertainment.

But, I guess the mere production isn’t good enough anymore. (Cause the city waived all the tax revenues to prevent runaway productions. And, Hollywood can show a loss on “Star Wars”, “Spiderman” or “Pirates” through creative accounting, if they want to. Poor fellas. They can just barely scrape by.)

So instead of gambling, or auto manufacturing, we are focusing on buying our way to the top of the convention city business, focusing on providing “world-class”, “state of the art”, “nice as f*ck” theater and broadcast facilities, so the whole world can fly here for their music award shows, and House of Blues cable broadcasts, and movie screenings and premiers with all the techno-structure to accommodate a TRUE international press corp and broadcasters to beam the even all over the world.

Of course, we are already getting that business anyway. So looks like the Hollywood area, currently attracting these gigs/business are about to become the CD in an iPod world. (Maybe we can house the homeless in all those empty unused venues that are about to become the LA Forum of the Hollywood ET/Access Hollywood world.)

And how do you blow away the rest of the world, and wipe everything else off the map? (At least in the California race for convention business that we consistently lose big to San Fran, San Diego and Orange County. Cause you ain’t never gonna beat Vegas till you get gambling inside that Ritz Carlton, JW Marriott, Hilton and Mandarin Hotels coming to Downtown LA. Skid Row isn’t as good a tourist attraction as Danny Gans, free alcohol and blackjack tables, apparently.)

So let’s take a look at one of the two billion dollar bookend projects the city has online to give LA that steroid injection it needs to become the international tourist and convention magnet it must become; or else we really will become that third world city the critics are warning us about. (And in this global war, the city is gonna have to focus all resources and funding toward this “Hail Mary” attempt if there is any hope of pulling it off.)

So let’s see what one, of these two mixed-use, luxury condo, five star hotel, specialty/boutique shop, fancy restaurant upscale billion dollar wife babysitter projects has in store, with the only the community’s best interest in mind:

[A MASSIVE, PRODIGIOUS, BULWARK OF AN ARTICLE, QUITE FITTING TO ADDRESS THE ALLEDGED SCALE OF THESE PROJECTS. AND SINCE LA TIMES IS HELL BENT ON BEING KNOWN AS THE “INTERNATIONAL NEWS SPECIALISTS”, here’s a little Sunday Times style reading, for yo azz! Except this is on the realest, dough.]

THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPILATION OF INFORMATION ON THIS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES REVITAILIZATION FANTASY PROJECT (ONE OF MANY PROMISED “CORNERSTONES”) THAT WILL MAKE THE DOWNTOWN SKYLINE LOOK GOOD FOR PEOPLE FLYING IN FROM OVERSEAS, BUT WON’T DO MUCH FOR THE RESIDENTS OF LOS ANGELES EXCEPT SUCK THE SOUL AND MONEY OUT OF THE CITY

Vegas, looks good: But at what expense. The place is like a Hollywood set. Everything looks good from the front, as you are walking down the strip. But the machine that built that shiny new skyline (and keeps it ticking) seems to have robbed the soul out of the community (average paying casino jobs with impossible hours) and turned Veags into the meth capital of the universe.

You got the crack heads walking the streets of the communities behind the casinos, as the wealthy international jet set crowd buys up all the luxury skyscrapers that gentrified the community.

LA doesn’t have gambling, but they still need a shiny new skyline for all the international billionaires to devour, or else we’ll sink even further as we continue to sit fifth on the totem pole behind lesser cities; San Fran, San Diego, Orange County and Vegas when it comes to the convention booking business.

If you look at the online brochures for these mulit-billion dollar CRA development projects, they all look just fantastic. Looks like a lot of fun time for tourists on a Saturday night. Only problem, these projects will rob the soul out of the community by sucking every available city cent, out of every nook and cranny of the city funds – and will wipe away all the locally owned and operated businesses in the area. (Like a giant Home Depot of restaurants, shops and entertainment.) No more local flare. No more of that "diverse culture" that city's like LA brag about. Just pre-fabricated, planned mixed-use mega-center tourist attractions. (And we all know how tired tourist-based living gets.)

The little everyday amenities that are available, will fold, and you will be forced to not only commute for work, but for grocery shopping and everything else. (Except high end boutique specialty items, or a five star tea part at the Ritz Carlton.)

If the billionaire developers and their mega-international banking partners realize their dreams and fantasies, Downtown Los Angeles is about to try and “buy” its’ way into the international convention business, attempting to wipe everything else off the map. It hasn’t worked before. But this time, I think they will continue to throw enough money at the problem to at least get the stuff built. [At what expense to investors and the community remains to be seen. But it will look great, and be a fantastic addition to all the investor's corporate portfolio.]

Stuff like the Ritz-Carlton Condos, fancy restaurants, special event theaters, upscale shops. Everything a CEOs wife could want to keep her busy while her billionaire hubby gives a keynote at the convention. All the employees/attendees…well I guess they can sleep down the street with everyone else on Skid Row who can’t afford the five star convention accommodations.

Bottom line: The fix is in, and a few people, with the most money have spoken. They can say the number one priority is to fix the schools, reduce crime, manage traffic congestion, build more affordable housing, clean up skid row and create more high paying jobs…but that’s all bullsh*t.

The number one priority of the City of Los Angeles, as revealed by Villaraigosa and CM Jan Perry is to turn downtown LA into an upscale convention region, flanked by two competing luxury hotel, condo, restaurant, shopping, entertainment and theater projects; Grand Ave and LA Live, to create the Vegas like atmosphere to help pull in some business for that big white elephant convention center sitting near the Staples Center (that was supposed to solve the problem).

And remeber, Janice Hahn also wants to build another convention center near LAX. So I sure hope businesses start having A LOT MORE conventions, instead of less, as travel and convention costs continue to rise, and electronic communication make them easier to cut back on.) Because now all these billions and billions being invested into a Downtown convention area will have to compete with a more convenient and more economically feasible Janice Hahn LAX Convention Center.

And LA is banking on all these downtown tourists and conventions to have huge convention budgets. Because everything is five star, therefore you will be booking your employees at the Ritz, JW Marriott or Mandarin Hotel. (Or one of the other cheap ass hotels like Bonaventure or Westin.) Not building any affordable hotels, like they aren’t building any affordable housing, so they have just priced themselves out of the convention business.

Here’s more on LA LIVE, the answer to all your problems, with a starting price of over $2 billion. [ZD legislative review in brackets.]

LA LIVE: In September, 2005, the Mayor attended the ground breaking ceremony for Phase 1, scheduled for completion in 2007. [Oh good, I see we’re right on track! Look at the delays, and they haven’t even started.]

L.A. LIVE will also be the region's most in-demand and busiest hospitality location [Oh! I guess the facts and statistics are in!?!?], featuring 260,480 square feet of conference center and ballroom facilities [good we should put the homeless there, since it will sit empty most of the time]; eight world-class restaurants [GOOD, cause we’re turning into a third-world country], including the ESPN Zone [Oh, I almost thought it said EDUCation Zone], Flemings Prime Steakhouse [no transfats please, that would be bad for the City] and Wine Bar, Katsuya, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Yard House, Rosa Mexicana and dining concepts developed by Wolfgang Puck [actual diversity, if you can afford Wolfgang], Celestino Drago and others [things no one said they wanted or needed];

a 100,000-square-foot special events deck [for your shady special event fee waivers]; the famous Lucky Strike Lanes bowling center [I think bowling alleys downtown named after cigarettes are gonna get the mayor re-elected]; the celebrity-owned Conga Room [I was against it until I heard it was “celebrity owned”…I’m sure they’ll feed homeless children that won’t have affordable housing now]; and the one-of-a-kind Grammy Museum saluting the history of music and the genre's best known awards show. [And we all know there is nothing more needed in this city right now than a museum paying tribute to awards shows. Meanwhile, how about finishing the Children’s Museum, first?]

All of the aforementioned facilities will be centered around NOKIA Plaza LA Live, a 40,000-square-foot outdoor event space. [Maybe Zev can put all the skid row homeless there, instead of those mountain campgrounds the NIMBYS are fighting. HEY…I bet Kaiser could get away with illegal dumping there, cause it’s private space!]

(Los Angeles) – Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today joined Tim J. Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG as he announced AEG and KB Home will partner to finance the development of the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel, the linchpin LA Live! downtown project. The Mayor strongly supports the partnership which will accelerate building the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel.

“This partnership will ensure [at least promises, if not delivers] that LA Live and the hotel not only come to fruition [or at least fantasy] but will make Los Angeles the entertainment capital of the West Coast,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. [Is that all it takes? One hotel!]

“Furthermore, [don’t say ‘furthermore’ you haven’t really said anything yet] the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel is absolutely necessary if Los Angeles wants to have a convention center that is able to compete with other convention centers in the region.” [If the nation’s second biggest City isn’t even competitive with the region…save your time and money, now. This isn’t the answer. (No casinos!) Everyone visits and moves to LA because they like LA: So you want to completely change into being just like everywhere else. ZONE AWAY, A-HOLES!]

The AEG and KB Home partnership will ensure [at least hope] that the four-star hotel will become a reality for downtown Los Angeles. [But that reality may not include enough demand or occupancy.]

LA Live! A multi-use development, is critical to the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles [developers’ bank accounts] and fulfills the Mayor’s vision to make downtown one of the most recognized and attractive areas not only in the City but in the country as well. [Designed in his own image! And by the way, this doesn’t fulfill it. That happens when it is completed and operational.]

When [If] completed, it will serve to attract more than 10 million visitors [How? I don’t see] which in turn will infuse $9 billion into the economy and create more than 25,000 jobs. [That’ll be the day that Jim Morrison walks into the CRA office to apply for some of the mandatory affordable housing that those sunset clauses have a way of setting on.]

The project covers six city blocks in the South Park neighborhood and will be the signature of the neighborhood. Restaurants, nightclubs, sports bars, [instead of the types of amenities people will still have to go to Silverlake or Pasedena to get] high density housing, [yeah, The Ritz Carlton Condo; that’s what they are calling “housing’] a 7,100 seat state-of-the art theater, radio and television broadcast facilities [glad we are building those. Maybe they can build some practical housing and needed community amenities]; offices and the Convention Headquarters Hotel are all components of this new entertainment district. [And “entertaining” is the big crisis the city is facing! I heard Bratton say just the other day, “We can’t entertain our way out of this.” I tend to disagree. And I happen to know from inside sources, entertaining are also big issues at LAUSD and all the social services. And the middle class being pushed out of town in the other parts of town...they demand more entertaining, too!]

The hotel [Ritz Carlton and Five Star Marriott, nothing most tourists or business conventions will be able to afford] will have 1,100 rooms as well as meeting, ballroom and amenity space of approximately 185,000 square feet. [To go along with all the convention space, already not being used, because it's too expensive to get downtown from the airport -- and too much traffic -- and, well...skid-you-know-what' in addition to the new convention center Janice Hahn wants to build near the airport. I hope people that go to conventions start having a lot of babies!]

Mayor Villaraigosa broke ground on LA Live! on September 15, 2005

The Convention Center Headquarters Hotel will feature spectacular rooms that will provide views to the Westside and downtown skyline. [Overlooking all the problems these projects not only won’t solve, but add to.]

AEG is developing a downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment destination, a 4-million square foot development adjoining The STAPLES Center and The Los Angeles Convention Center. [And you are telling us, instead of trying to keep it secret? Remember what happened last time you used the words, "AEG" and "STAPLES Center" regarding development? The Valley still haven't cooled down from that. And this will remind them again!]

The multi-faceted entertainment destination will feature an exciting mix of entertainment venues, restaurants, retail commercial and residential spaces, television and radio broadcast studios and concert spaces. [Can families who parents have to work downtown, but can't find housing within eighty miles crash in the radio studios when they aren't being used? Or maybe Clear Channel can build some affordable housing in the area?]

Highlights of the district will include a 40,000-square foot outdoor plaza, a ESPN broadcast and restaurant facility, Regal Theatres and Club NOKIA at L.A. Live. [And not ONE thing of public benefit.]

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live will be a premier mid-sized music/theatre venue featuring state-of-the-art acoustics and seating for 7,000. [Sounds perfect for a James Taylor perfomance at a David Geffen benefit. Or some other wine and cheese event.]

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live will look to host the Latin GRAMMY® Awards and ESPY Awards, as well as numerous other productions from VH1, MTV, and BET. [In that case, they are only taking business from other nearby venues? So how does that help revitalize? Sounds like it will only cannibalize? Hey, Garcetti...make them cut you in as Council President, since it will be tanking your own districts' investment.]

It is also available for corporate shareholder meetings, product launches, and seminars. [Good the shareholders can discuss how the project they are having the meeting in is weakening the local economy and their revenues will be going down, unless they are targeting the poor, or rich international tourists.]

Club NOKIA at L.A. Live

In an effort to bring the best in live music and entertainment to Los Angeles, NOKIA and AEG are joining forces to create Los Angeles' most renowned club for live music and cultural events. [Why is the city making this much of an effort to entertain? Why not this much effort to educate?]

The stand-alone club, which will accommodate up to 2,400 patrons, will feature up and coming music acts, bands, and cultural shows.

The club may also be used to host private parties and corporate events.[Sounds like this whole project is the “home depot” of regional entertainment. It’ll put everyone else out of business, then you’ll only have one big, sanitized “Promonade/Citywalk-style” tourist infused entertainment scene. And we all know that gets tired after about one month.]

NOKIA Plaza (Welcome to Nokiatown, CA)

Situated in the heart of the nation's entertainment capital, NOKIA Plaza provides a 40,000-square foot open-air plaza that will serve as the central meeting place for Los Angeles' Sports and Entertainment District. [And there’s no more important goal the City should be focused on, toward the goal of uplifting the community, and society at large as Sports and Entertainment. I think the City should be doing MORE in this area, instead of leaving it to the private sector/No CRA involvement.]

The Plaza will serve as one of the district's key anchors, providing a broadcast venue featuring giant LED screens as well as a red carpet site for special events. [IF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES WERE A RESTAURANT, IT WOULD SERVE NOTHING BUT DESSERT!]

The NOKIA Theatre venues are part of the "NOKIA Unwired" marketing platform, which brings live music to fans in both the NOKIA Theater venues and on TV through "NOKIA Presents Hard Rock Live" on MTV. [How about something that brings education to students of LAUSD, not the crap they play on MTV! And F*CK NOKIA! I'm already sick to my stomach from seeing the word, "Nokia". Why don't you just put up a big billboard at LAX: "Welcome to Latham/AEG/Broad's Las Nokia-Disney/Universal, California!"]

Hotel and Condominiums

A 54-story, 1000-room convention "headquarters" hotel that will combine the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton brands and 216 luxury condominiums - The Residences at The Ritz Carlton [How about building something people planning conventions can afford. I thought you wanted convention business? Five star hotels are for rich individuals. Maybe the CEOs will stay there. How about everyone else? Gotta build those, too, renaissance planners!]

The project, considered the largest development in Los Angeles' history, will be host to an exciting mix of venues and facilities. [At the same time all the middle-income folks are fleeing the area, to be replaced by new low income immigrants. Plus wealthy international immigrant land investors/speculators/developers.]

"On behalf of AEG and all of our partners, we are here today to break ground for the largest and most important development in the history of Downtown Los Angeles [if you say so, although Eli Broad would beg to differ, I’m sure] , LA Live," said Timothy J. Leiweke, President & CEO, AEG. "This project is real, this project is happening and this project is important. LA Live will give Los Angeles the ability to attract the best and most important events for our city." [Keep trying to convince yourself. Call Stuart Smalley, maybe he can read you an affirmation, himself.]

"Most importantly, our company's investment of nearly $1 billion coupled with an additional $3.5 billion commitment from the other private investors in LA Live and the surrounding downtown residential district has brought this city a fully privatized, fully financed and fully entitled development. A $4.2 billion development that does not require any public subsidy" Leiweke added. [Are you willing to put that in writing?]

Gladstone's 4 Fish, Junior's Deli Boys, Il Moro, Katsuya, and New Zealand Natural will provide a variety of established dining opportunities for LA Live visitors. Agreements with P.F. Chang's and French 75 are in the final stages of negotiations. [Besides the few times a year J Lo or Santana shows up at The Conga Room for all the VIPs to attend, anything your average city resident can take their family to without taking out another mortgage?]

Upper floors will house luxury suites to accommodate visiting sports teams, headline performers, and upscale guests. The hotel will also include up to 111 fully serviced luxury condominium units on the top floors offering 24-hour valet and concierge staff, food and room services, and other amenities. The 1.1 million sq. ft. hotel will be developed by Wolff-Apollo and designed by Gensler. [Looks like they’ve solved the NBA housing crisis! And now Elton John has a new place to rave about next time he’s in town! And I’m sure the rest of the voting public couldn’t be happier about that!]

The hotel is expected to significantly boost efforts to attract key conferences, exhibitions, conventions and corporate meetings to the convention center, strengthening the entire Los Angeles region's tourism and new business opportunities. [You expected everyone to move into all those lofts and businesses everyone is already moving out of, cause you haven’t put this much effort into the actual solutions, that don’t included luxury accommodations for Shaq when he flies into town to beat the Lakers.] City general funds will not be used to finance the hotel's development. [I HOPE NOT!!! Thanks for bragging about not using City money to build a Paris Hilton Hotel. City funds will not be used to build any affordable housing. Why don’t you mention that, too!]

At the groundbreaking, Leiweke announced several new, major l.a. live business partners: [Lots of business partners, not too many community and social improvement partners.]

ESPN will create a regional headquarters and sports entertainment venue in a unique 120,000 sq. ft. broadcast studio that will be the home for a number of live and taped programs. Included in this building will be the ESPN Zone - a multi-level restaurant, sports bar, and game area. An approximately 10,000 sq. ft. radio broadcast center is also planned for live radio in an adjacent building.

Regal Entertainment Group will develop a 90,000 sq. ft. cinema complex with 3,700 seats and featuring digital sound, stadium seating, and state-of-the-art projection systems. This flagship theater will serve as a new venue for movie premieres and special screenings. [So long Hollywood, moving the “premier and screenings” over here. Again, this won’t generate more business to the area. Just move it away from other areas. But I’m glad Leo Decaprio’s quality of life is about to improve. I can think of no better use of this prime real estate than for occasional “premiers and specials”. Can LAUSD use the space to teach kids in between those important special occasions?]

The GRAMMY® Museum will be housed in a 28,000 sq. ft. space designed for a permanent display of music genres and the science of recorded music as well as new interactive presentations recognizing past and president GRAMMY® winning artists. [How about an actual cultural arts center where kids actually learn how to play an instrument, not just look at statues of Beyonce’.]

"Sports and entertainment often converge in the diverse city of Los Angeles and establishing a major presence there is a very positive step in the long-term growth of our company," [but not the long-term growth of our kids or community] said George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks. [I don’t know who has their hooks in deeper in this town, Disney or Universal? Mickey Mouse is actually the real mayor of LA] “Originating more programming and extending our brand with an ESPN Zone will create a stronger ESPN. [TOP, TOP, TIPPY TOP City priority and philanthropic benefit to the community!] Given the success of our past collaborations with AEG [and how the valley wanted to secede from LA] and the scope and promise of LA Live, we are eager to expand our L.A.-based operations." [And I’m glad the city can help facilitate your eagerness for expansion!]

"Diversity is the lifeblood of our vibrant city. The Conga Room is proud to partner with LA Live to showcase its unique brand of Latin American culture and music," said Jimmy Smits, co-owner, The Conga Room. [Yeah, a Latin American bar, real diverse. Not enough Latino culture. That’s the diversity missing in this town! And by being a specific culture, it’s not diverse, idiots! Call it what it is…Jimmy Smits is a famous actor: Let him open the bar. And to all the bar owners about to go out of business. Go into acting.]

"Hilton is pleased that we have been selected to manage this new hotel, particularly since it is located in our corporate back yard. [Glad we could make life easier for you!]

"Great cities attract great conventions and visitors. [Yeah, that’s why we’ve losing out] This Hilton hotel and LA Live will establish Downtown Los Angeles as a world class destination. [I thought the Omni/Bonaventure/Westin/Staples/Convention Center/Etc was supposed to do that? I say you do that through building a great “real” city.] Our team is absolutely committed to bringing this hotel to life and transforming Los Angeles into one of the most attractive destinations for conventions in the nation, [that’s the same kind of optimistic speech the Captain of the Titanic said about the Titanic just before it sank]" said Lew Wolff, Chairman and CEO, Wolff Urban Management, which is co-developing the Los Angeles Convention Center Headquarters Hotel.

• Numerous high-end fine dining, casual and ethnic restaurants as well as nightclubs, coffee shops, and bistros which will provide a rich mixture of high quality food and settings, providing visitors with a true "Taste of L.A.;" [Is that the taste of LA? I guess Canter’s, Pinks, Roscoes, Baja Fresh, Big Daddy’s Venice, all the city’s authentic Mexican restaurants…you’re not high-end and fine…you’re not true. You think a billionaire developers wife wants to eat at any place the rest of the world can afford?]

• 4,000 residential apartments and loft condominiums within three blocks of the sports and entertainment district are under construction or in the planning stages. [How close is it to grocery stores, repair shops, cleaners, schools, gyms, after school programs, social services, neighborhood council meetings?]"Today Los Angeles is reaffirming its position as the entertainment capital of the world. LA Live will bring a vibrant sports and entertainment district to Downtown Los Angeles with exciting new places for families to dine and watch a movie, concert or game. [But nothing to do, and no where to feed your kids on a budget.] The entire City of Los Angeles will benefit from the thousands of jobs it will create and billions of dollars it will pump into our local economy," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ["Entire city will benefit?" OK Mayor, now I’m gonna sue your ass for fraudulent claims.]

"The LA Live sports and entertainment district is a boom for our local economy and the world-class facility will continue downtown's unprecedented revitalization efforts," said State Senator Gil Cedillo, who represents the area where the project will be developed. [So that’s how you know this is a bad deal.]

LA LIVE restaurants, theaters, landscaped courtyard, and media headquarters are certain to continue our efforts to reinvigorate our city center and make it an even more attractive destination for tourists and local families alike. Additionally, the project brings a wealth of quality job opportunities and profound economic development to the South Park neighborhood, surrounding areas, and the city as a whole," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents the 9th Council District where the project will be located. [Quality job opportunities, like construction worker or waiter once it is open. Notice how Jan's paragraph was the most pompous, grand, politi-speak in this whole massive post? Take your nose out of the air Jan, you have nothing to be arrogant about?]

"There is no more defining influence on the future of Downtown L.A. than the LA Llive development by AEG," said Mark Liberman, president & CEO of LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It presents LA with the promise of a wholly new and exciting visitor destination in the center of the second largest city in the country. Our industry is eager to work closely with AEG, its partners and the City to make the vision presented today a reality. There's no hiding the fact that what we've seen today can be a convention sales organization's dream come true." [What about the constituents’ of Los Angeles’ dreams come true? I guess one man’s dream, is the rest of our nightmare.]

MACFARLANE: While San Francisco-based MacFarlane invests money for the California Public Employees' Retirement System and other big clients. [In speculative, partially planned billion dollar city projects, that assumes enough risk to trigger all the warning flags to investors. Mainly, cost over-runs and inefficiency that will plague profitability. Either that, or they will have to come running to the city for a bail-out.]

"Downtown has been the redheaded stepchild with braces compared to the Westside," Wise said. [And I think now is the perfect time for the city to attempt to have Downtown swim upstream, against public will.]

"This is really a quantum leap forward in terms of credibility about downtown's revitalization," he added. [The “quantum leap” is the announcement with is only a leap “forward” in terms of credibility…it doesn’t restore it.]

Owners of downtown's Bonaventure Hotel tried to stop AEG's hotel plans in court, arguing that AEG will have an unfair competitive advantage because it will receive financial assistance from the city. The suit was later dropped. [Not because it isn’t unfair. But because they City gave in to Bonaventure “tick for tack” demands.]

The deal approved by the City Council calls for AEG to receive a rebate of at least $246 million in the hotel bed taxes it is expected to generate during the first 25 years of operation. In addition, the project is being given a $5-million grant from the city redevelopment agency and a rebate of $4 million in building permit fees.

Those concessions from the city were essential to getting the hotel started, Leiweke said. [I thought the big deal about this was it was completely funded by private money and how it is so successful that they don’t need any help?]

San Francisco-based MacFarlane, which invests in urban real estate developments, will provide as much as $400 million in financing, said Chief Executive Victor MacFarlane. The company also may invest in the $2-billion Grand Avenue retail, residential and office project set to begin construction north of Staples on Bunker Hill later this year. [And Antonio may run for re-election.]

"We'll probably invest in the two largest bookends downtown," he said. [And two riskiest, bookends, waiting to become a price over-run nightmare as construction costs soar, and delays allow prices to continue to skyrocket. And these increases are not factored in. So, all of these figures are just minimum starting prices, like an opening bid on ebay.]

Also helping fund construction of the hotel are the expected sales of the condominiums, which are priced at $1.5 million to $6 million. [Oh no, all those shabby, affordable $1.5 units will bring down the value of the $6 million dollar units. Can’t we raise the prices on the lower priced units to help keep property values up. I mean, really!]

Buyers have already made deposits on nearly half of the units, Leiweke said. [Where are these people coming from? Must be flying them in from somewhere else?]

"He has made a huge investment in this community in infrastructure, in entertainment and in sports, and those three drive our economy," said L.A. developer Steve Soboroff, a former adviser to ex-Mayor Richard Riordan, who worked with Anschutz on the Staples Center and other projects. [Sports and entertainment drive our economy? That’s a problem then, if you ask me? No wonder our community is in trouble if that’s what drives it. You forgot to throw in junk food and porno.]

Hotel tax rebates fuel anger:

The 54-story hotel will put the city's downtown convention center in the running for business that now goes elsewhere, said Jack Kyser, chief economist at the development corporation.

But the up-to-$290 million in hotel tax rebates that the Los Angeles City Council approved for the property last year drew the ire of many Angelenos.

CM Jan Perry: There is a perception of enthusiasm for this market. [That’s quite a bit of of land dedication (including public) and money (including public and pension) going toward a mere “perception of enthusiasm”. (Sounds like a Larry David spin-off show.)]

Jan Perry: It should be a catalytic project for activating the surrounding streets [you mean congest them with gridlock traffic (see Century City), improving and enhancing the appeal of the convention center worldwide. It should increase our convention business enormously. It’s a critical project that we must get built. [I didn’t “Convention Business” showed up as any of the solutions in all those Ad Hoc Reports on crime, homelessness, traffic and other citywide problems we are trying to solve through prudent city planning. All of these billion dollar projects, built under the guise of “improving and enhancing” (instead of actually solving) …

Q: Jan, your council office has been incredibly successful in advancing the renaissance of downtown, but what have you not been as able to do re development?

CM Perry (YUK!): The biggest loss has been our inability to develop long-term and permanent housing for people who are homeless. For example, tying together the high level of development activity on the Figueroa corridor, using that tax increment within the boundaries of the area to create a lot of new construction. I’m not talking about transitional hosing. I’m talking about long-term housing to give people some stability in their lives. [Yeah, and I don’t see how any of this addresses any of that?]

Q: Two last questions. What is reasonable time-line for building out L.A. Live?

CM YUK: Well, I think you can use the first Staples Center project as a benchmark for how long it takes AEG to do construction. I believe that project was done in two years or less. [Yeah, Jan, but that was just one building, although a big one. This is like the Universal City Walk, plus housing and hotels? Why are you using apples for an oranges timeline? And that was then…skyrocketing cost will continue to cause these projects to become expensive bridges, burning behind you. Hope it doesn’t catch you, and shut down the projects. After all, look at the Los Angeles Children’s Museum. Couldn’t even get that done without City Council having to approve an emergency “loan”.]

Q: In the next mayoral campaign, what should the candidates be addressing?

YUK: Economic development—bringing projects online that will create a larger market for jobs at all levels and making sure we keep pace with this emerging market for housing. We also must look at the city’s infrastructure, what needs to be done and how to pay for it. [I agree, we should do that, no these (Grand/Live).]City requirements dictate that AEG include a 20% affordable housing component in the project. To meet that, AEG has given $8 million to the YWCA [How will the other religions feel about giving the money to another religious organization. After all, it is a “Christian” Association] to develop a new campus for their Job Corps facilities and 200 two-bedroom apartments for very low-income program participants. The seven-story, $43 million structure will rise on the block bounded by 12th, Pico, Figueroa and Flower. An additional $2 million CRA grant helped acquire the land. [City money for private project, y’all!?!? I wanna sit on there whenever I want!]

RE: GRAND In April, 2006, the Mayor unveiled Phase 1 of this $2 billion project, which began construction in 2006 and ends in 2010.

AND THANKS TO PATRICIA MCPHERSON OF "GRASSROOTS COALITION" WHO IS THE COMMUNITY LEADER WHO CONTACTED KNBC AND BROUGHT THE ISSUE TO THIS POINT AND OPENED MY EYES TO THE WHOLE ISSUE FOR THE ZD'S JUNE 10th REPORT!!!

See link above for KNBC-TV Report Featuring Anchorman Paul Moyer and Producer Frank Snepp's Investigation Into City Controller- Laura Chick's Audit of the City's Oversight of the Methane Mitigation Measures of Playa Vista.

In the last KNBC Audit broadcast Controller Chick acknowledged that she could not vouch for the safety of the Playa Vista Phase 1 site. New information from Controller Chick cites "deep flaws" in the City's oversight of the project.

Grassroots Coalition's investigation into the 'working papers' of the audit reveal the audit's charting of huge data gaps and lack of required safety performance data. Department personnel interviews within the Audit's "working papers" cite serious and dangerous defects in the safety systems and inspection process.An auditor interview with, " the only trained inspector on methane mitigation systems for the LAFD" cites the LAFD inspector as stating, "He invited DBS inspectors and staff to also participate in training sessions, none of whom took him up on this offer."

The Audit's "working papers" also include a Declaration from a former high level LADBS employee- with personal knowledge and responsibility for overseeing Building Code compliance and establishing design requirements pertaining to methane mitigation for Playa Vista and the City of LA (Declaration within ETINA V CITY OF LOS ANGELES) cites extreme danger hazards at the Playa Vista site.

In part the Declaration states, "The serious design defects that exist in the methane mitigation system installed at the Playa Vista site were deliberately andintentionally allowed to be used by LADBS officials in order to favor cost cutting measures advanced by the building developers. This violated the established practices and procedures of the LADBS, in providing protection to the public in assuring safe building practices.

As a result of these violations, there is an ever present risk of fires and explosions at the Playa Vista site."

(Rebroadcasts will likely occur as they have in the past. Watch for a rebroadcast at 11pm and on Sunday afternoon and Monday early morning. KNBC also provides its website for the continuing investigative reportsas they occur.)

Although ZD is leaning heavy on his stack of internationally recognized marketing strategy, quality & productivity, quantum physics/neuro-linguistic/effective PR communication consulting material; there will still be occasion to blog about some ofthe nefariousness and fraud, waste and abuse that continues to flow like Niagara Falls, crashing down on the pueblo rocks, below.

But a little too much weak-ass spin from the defeated spinflys reminded me of a few things non-strategy related. You see, Deming says, "There is nothing worse than bad competition." (See "ZD MASTER FILE AT ZumaTimes.com for 40 page "master file" (with more/the rest to be added) of ZD's 20 years of research and information from some of the top, internationally recognized authors and consultant in the world, synthesized for all the leaders within the city and community (YES, that means YOU City Council -- and their staffers...and all city workers and involved members of the community from neighborhood council, homeowners associations, clubs and organizations, committee commissioners, media personnel, and involved constituents who show up for these meetings and activate the rest of the community.) CLICK READ MORE, THERE IS MORE: You can laugh at ZD all you want for feeling this way, and I don't think there's anyone reading this who can accuse me of being a naive sucker, or "Mr. Happy-Happy, Joy-Joy" -- but I mean it when I say, if everyone reading this post, would read THIS (click "this"), in it's entirety, however disjointed and however many typos that I am working on correcting, the City willautomatically reduce waste and become more efficient (no matter what else they are doing behind our back regarding fraud and abuse) and will become more innovative and creative in planning and implementation of the solutions to the problems before us.

I hope you agree, and if not...at least it didn't cost you anything.

Meanwhile, there are still concerns to be discussed, and back to the point of the weak spin that triggered my subconscious mind to think of and type the following words posted below: You've sat there round the clock and attacked me on everything except the content of the text (and in text form you can't see my hat and glasses and I'm not speaking too loud, or on City time)...but the spin is getting so thin and so weak, THAT seems to be the thing that pissed me off!!! It's the little things. I realize...you wanna piss me off and place me in a lifetime of heck...post the most stupid stuff imaginable, like you have been doing more recently. For all the stuff you have said about me, it's the stuff like, "there are a thousand marketing books out there", or to say, "more mayor gossip because the comments go up." WHO CARES IF THE COMMENTS GO UP?

Of course Entertainment Tonight gets bigger ratings than and LAUSD board meeting on KCLS. Of course the National Enquirer has more readers than a City Council agenda. Of course kids will play X-box instead of reading a text book.

I really have to question a lot of the people who I have spent a lot of time with, previously, discussing issues which they were scared to death about, in their community, and now it seems like too many people simply have personal axes to grind; and the things they are mentioning and blogging have nothing to do advocacy in a true sense of positive community spirit. Is THAT what you are fighting for? More talk about personal stuff? I know, I know...it's hurting his political career and that's good. But I'm not hearing enough about Eminent Domain, density without the necessesary infrustructure and mass transit, undocumented workers building condos, the new Villargarcia LAUSD school board that is steamrolling right over the parents, kids and heading straight for the construction and facilities money and contracts.

So to all the people who are pissing me off, for all the wrong reasons...read my quality and productivity material and please apply it to the following areas:

* Why does Los Angeles City Council allow un-documented workers to build the condos they are approving through Planning and Council?

Then, the legal workers can get work while you continue to raise their taxes and tack on new and innovative fees?

* LAUSD: Watch for the board to do everything possible to eliminate the parental input they campaigned they were going to include more of.

Things like once a month meetings (less opportunity for parents to attend), requiring a majority vote in order to allow a boardmember to even ask a question on what they are voting on. Cutting back the amount of time of public input (after cutting back to once monthly meetings), but they will allow everyone to speak; they will just divideup the time equally, so you may only get five or six seconds. (NO JOKE!)

PLUS, the entire annual order of business what magically sent overtomonica garcia from King of Education, Mayor Antonio. Hmmmm, did Antionio hold public input hearings and get back the results of all those questions they needed, that wasn't even in the field yet?

And if it was the first board meeting, how could it have all been done already?Didn't the new board members have any say in the annual order of business? InTamar's case, that is probably a good thing, since she has less experience with LAUSD than a first grader. (Who at least has been through kindergarten.) But if you spend a million bucks to get elected, I'm sure it means she isn't just sitting there to approve mayor-friendly construction projects while she waits for a council seatto open up.

But this thread is going to be about LAUSD, and I haven't even mentioned the Riordan crew from the old pirate days, who somehow seem to be the current cast of construction money pirates.

And since the mayor probably forgot to aks Bloomberg about mayor control in NYC, ZDis gonna post the results of how that debacle, along with all the othersacross the country have been going from an achievement and financial level.

* How much is Ruby De Vera gonna cost the City?

The closed door settlement talk has been called by City Attorney to Budget and Finance Committee this week. And someone should include the price of a copy of the constitution and show it to a few folks on the wrong side of the rope.

* WHAT'S going to happen to City Hall's fantasy subway to the sea and magic bullet trains/mag train needed to accommodate "Dumb Growth" and "Hideous Density" when the pueblos say go f*ck yourself over all these billions in bond money at the polls.ANDAKS YOURSELF THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT THE SCHOOLS. Cause ZD's market research says that well is about to dry up. Research says "negatives" going "up" when issue of more school bond money is raised in the questionnaire . (I hope they get em built before the money runs out. But if I know the City of Los Angeles, as planners, they end up with a bunch of half-finished school,un-completed; rather than getting a few actually built -- which better be the strategy cause vote patience and "yeses" are running out.

* ZD doesn't have to check the budget to know that the number of 311 operators were cut back first week of July, right when the new budget kicked in. Every trycalling during the day, now?

Trust me...no one is gonna sit on hold that long. Quality Management guru DaveElliott would like to remind you, "311 is the representation of howconstituents and "customers" (as the mayor calls them on the line) willjudge their business experience with the City of Los Angeles If thecity considers itself to be in business, then the mayor should bestriving to reduce the time on hold between first ring and connectionto the appropriate party. NOT INCREASING ON HOLD TIME AT A GEOMETRICRATE OF PROGRESSION.

MAYOR, I know it seems like a small thing...those damn 311 lines for those damn people calling about things you don't care about.

But you are taking the opportunity to make a good impression on everyone who calls in to city hall, and pissing 'em off, right off the bat. And if they are calling to complain in the first place, well you sure ain't spinning the right way on these former supporters either.

BUT, for the threads, I am going to focus on undocumented workers (unsafe) who are building condos in L.A. that also take the jobs from those you increase taxes and add new fees. (And we haven't gotten those 1000 new cops yet, although the fees have beenraised?) AND, the scandalatLAUSD (Hey Monica, where's the inspector general?

You'd hire Kellen Keller for the position if you could, wouldn't you. Ichallenge you to have him in the room at allLAUSD board and committee meetings (if you ever have one). I mean, if you care about kids and schools and fixing the system, and making sure no one bamboozles all the money away like in other major "mayoralcontrolled" cities...wouldn't you WANT the inspector general to be asinvolved as much as they would like to be, so as to do the job and protect the money.

I mean, it doesn't do any good to allow fraud, waste and abuse to rob thekids of their future. And the Inspector General is there to protect against that. So what does it say if AB 1381 wanted to eliminate the inspector general, and you supported this move, and it is quite clear to the whole world that you don't like the position ofIG? [I'm not passing judgement, necessarily, just aksing what it would mean if you were LAUSD school board president and wished you were "Bewitched" so you could wiggle your nose and send the IG to Bombay.

Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Tony Robbins and "Ries & Trout" are the three most influential consultants (the team of "Ries & Trout" counting as one) in the legislative mind of Big ZD.

Al Ries and Jack Trout were the first authors/consultants to jump off the bookshelf, when I was just getting started in radio, and they have done more to shape my strategic thinking than anything else. They are international legends in the radio industry, and industry in general -- consulting the "who's who" of Fortune 500 companies and their brands including Proctor & Gamble and just about every top of mind brand that you can think of (or their competitor).

Their other books include, "Positioning: The Battle for the Mind", "Bottom Up Marketing", "Focus", "22 Immutable Laws of Marketing", Origin of Brands among other marketing staples.

Again, if you are reading this, ZD feels you will have a major strategy and creativity breakthrough after reading this material based on their concepts.And not to name drop, but yes...ZD has spent numerous hours over the years interview Mr. Ries and Mr. Trout, on-air and in industry trade publications, and you can rest assured, both authors are very pleased with this representation of their material, and what is about to be presented actually sent a HUGE wave throughout the radio and record industry to the point where it is now a given that these strategies are being implemented. Again, as you read this, I'm sure you will be able to apply it to your career, as well.

contact: zumadogg@gmail.com or call (310) 928-7544 if you need further application for your product, service or campaign.

CLICK "READ MORE" FOR MESSAGE FROM ZD AS TO WHY THIS MATERIAL NOW

Some people may be wondering why ZD has made the sudden shift into this realm of material at this time.

After spending the past year and three months attacking the fraud, waste and abuse one issue at a time, a lot has indeed changed (and thank you City Hall for accepting the public input and reacting with some very positive and encouraging changes). As ZD’s eyes were opened up, he opened a few other people’s eyes up, as well and when the community complains about CM staffers sitting on Neighborhood Council boards; and community members address the 912 commission and the conflict is resolved, that’s a good sign.

And the community is activated at just the right time, as the electronic media (youtube, blogs and internet research) has finally become so easy to use and accessible to the masses enough to make an impact. And ZD finally believes his own hype regarding the degree and effectiveness of this electronic media impact.

And there are the same experts and leaders in the community who helped mentor ZD and helped provide him all the info that has been blasted on TV, radio, blogs, youtube, newspapers and all the accompanying networking/word of mouth are following up on these issues at the local community level and they call in and email all the latest and I am staying on top of all these issues.

And it is quite apparent that these community leaders are following through on all these issues and concerns and are on top of all the new shadiness coming down the pike.

So at this juncture, with many moving wheels in good hand of ZD’s fellow community activists throughout the city and with the feeling of “summer vacation” in the air, I feel I have to get some of this “consulting” material out there for all proponents and opponents, from all parties, on both sides of the rope, throughout the city to at least have the opportunity to read.

Not that any of this is going to make you be able to sing like Steve Perry, rap like Snoop Dogg, scan an agenda and instantly find the bamboozle and spit it out like the Federal Express “fast-talker” guy: But again, everyone reading this blog is in some sort of leadership position in the city, whether you work inside City Hall, the media, other Citywide departments and agencies and community members who actively participate in the city. And all this material is intended to do, is help you become a better strategic thinker, communicator, more instinctive, more creative, innovative and effective. This is how you improve quality and efficiency and how you reduce waste and lower total cost, leaving more time and money to further innovate and improve the quality of life. (How you “fix the problems in your office, community and the city.

So now that I have the platform, as even my opponents have been pleading with me to realize that I have, so I may feel compelled to try and “rise to the occasion” (even more); if I am actually in this to create positive change at a transforming and lasting level, I feel that I must share the inspiring world-class information I have gathered and synthesized from the internationally-demanded consultants themselves during through attendance of their seminars, audio programs, books, video programs and personal interviews.

The system is either broken or in desperate need of repair (city and schools). This is how you fix the system. Don’t worry about how it all ties together. All I ask is that you at least read this material that people pay $50,000 an hour for this EXACT information. The authors who have contributed to these blog posts have been translated in different languages. If you have ever wondered what kind of information and research the major Fortune 500 companies, Presidents (of United States) and the billionaire corporate executives running the biggest companies in the world are reading and listening to, I have been blogging it over the past couple days and will continue to, until get it all out.

And the thought of the spinfly opponents having equal access to all my hundreds, if not thousands of hours of research and my world-class (easy to understand) synthesis that has been so widely praised by these international experts themselves does not bother me in the least. Deming says, “There is nothing worse than bad competition.” And we are all suffering from the same problems, together (stuck in the same traffic, same unsafe streets, same hopeless future until we transform the education process, same inefficiencies that cause inconvenient delays and cause the waste to drive up cost and the tax hikes, fees and price increases are passed on to us all. Plus, a lot of people will already be familiar with a lot of this material, because again; it’s all legendary, internationally recognized stuff, so the whole world already knows about it. But it’s always good to read it again, with today’s challenges, targets and goals in mind. And I’m sure a lot of people may have heard about some of these people I am referencing, but maybe haven’t had a chance to see what it is actually saying.

And for those of you who may be wondering how this material has been received by the experts I am claiming, the following comments are not to rub it in, but to hopefully allow you to feel good about what you are reading.

____________________________________2 May 1992

Dear Mr. Elliott, [aka: ZD]

I thank you for your FAX letter dated 2 May 1992. I agree with your statement that (DE/ZD’s statement) is an example of attempt to produce quality by inspection. Grading of pupils in school is another example of attempts to produce quality by inspection. As a way of life, it does not work. I appreciate much the attachment that you sent. It is well done. I thank you and remain

Sincerely yours,

W. Edwards Deming___________________________________

"I too, as I am sure you know, am a Deming fan. I think your synthesis of his work is fabulous!" - Anthony Robbins/Chairman, RRI___________________________________"I thought you did a very, very nice job taking our basic ideas and really extending them in ways that I thought are very interesting." - Al Ries/Marketing Warfare, Bottom Up Marketing, Positioning, Focus, Origin of Brands.___________________________________

“I enjoyed your ‘quality quiz’…Let’s sit and speak sometime soon.” – Bob Pittman/Time Warner, Inc. [He did have me over to his office and he was quite accommodating!]___________________________________

So I hope you enjoy some of the information I was immersed in before my “community activism”, when ZD was involved in “corporate activism”. I’ve been using all this stuff against you in my guerilla warfare campaign for a year and three months. I think it is time to level the playing field.

IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR ZD TO EXPRESS:

A lot of my frustration with City Hall has been "how come ZD sees this and you don't" syndrome.

And I always say, "Maybe if you read (Deming/Robbins/Ries/etc)..."

So here it is. I started posting it over the weekend and will continue to re-type it all up and post enough to get the ball rolling so you can help me to be less cranky.

Are you surrounding yourself with the kind of people, radio, books, internet, music and TV that helps put you in the most creative, innovative and inspired state of mind?

Or do you go down the path of video game playing, “Wheel of Fortune” watching, media-conditioned, tranced-out denial-bunny?

I wish elementary school readers would read this story because the first thing society starts to do in the parental and educational process is start to strip away uniqueness and creativity (conformity helps keep things simple) and impose all sorts of limiting beliefs and fears to keep others in check.

Maybe I should make a YouTube rap song to tell kids that your mind is capable of much more than some people give you credit for.

I will continue to create specifically worded material that I will post so we can all check in throughout the day, or week, to help re-focus our thoughts and minds in an innovative, creative and inspired direction so we can be more focused and motivated and can hopefully pass it along to staff and everyone else around you.

Zuma Dogg Attempts to Empower The City of Los Angeles Like The Guy on Page 29 of LA Weekly

ZD has attempted to write in the style of Dr. W. Edwards Deming in previous threads.

Let's see how I with this copy and paste job of material I wrote for the mayor and Los Angeles City Council, in the style of Tony Robbins. (5000 words)

I'm not saying I did it, or even came close...I just tried to channel his spirit to try and give an example of some ways the mayor and City Council can help improve the quality of their speeches as they help improve the productivity of the city.

And I believe every person who reads this material will experience some level of increased quality and productivity throughout their day. It's not political and it's not gonna ruin your day. Make a print out. It's not meant to be read in one sitting, unless you want to be. It's ZD's success conditioner for anyone any everyone. And you don't have to even be able to follow it. Just read it and the embedded commands will do the rest!

contact: zumadogg@gmail.com and click READ MORE.

Dear Los Angeles City Council,

We all know a big part of your job involves a lot of legislation, administration and agenda items that takes up a good amount of your time, whether ZD shows up that day, or not.

And I’ve spent the past year and three months focusing on that aspect of the process.

However, there is much more to being an elected official than your “yes” or “no” vote on an agenda item.

I know you recently spent two days at a retreat, allowing you the opportunity to roll up your sleeves, loosen your ties and discuss your district’s needs and goals for the next year.

I think it would be exciting if Council took the equal amount of time and spent two meetings, televised live across the city, to address the citizens of Los Angeles and use the opportunity to directly address their constituents with a “State of the District”.

Use the opportunity to let people know about new services being provided to them by the City, what services are on the way and what problems you are aware of that you will be addressing.

COUNCILMEMBERS: TAKE TURNS READING INFORMATION LIKE THIS:

And I’d like to remind everyone watching, that as gas prices increase, and traffic congestion increases, look for occasions where the bus makes more sense. Maybe you drive part of the way, and jump on the bus the rest of the way. If you are going to the beach on the weekend, try taking the bus for the first time. When you factor in the price of gas, parking and the stress of driving, sometimes the bus makes more sense, even if you drive a Rolls Royce or Mercedes Benz.

Parents: School is starting again, before you know it and you may have heard the mayor will be working more closely with the new LAUSD school board and new superintendent David Brewer.

It’s going to be a long, uphill battle. The school system didn’t break overnight, and it can’t be fixed overnight. However, we can get started, right away. And we have gotten started.

The school board is going to do more to make sure the students who need the most special attention will be getting that added attention. More resources will be spent making sure teachers are best prepared to do their job through additional training and re-educating. Children who need more attention learning English will receive the attention. And information is being gathered and measures are being put in place that will allow the school district to better evaluate future results that will lead to higher teacher and system accountability.

But the school administration isn’t the only part of the system that needs fixing. Parents need to do more to better prepare their children to allow the schools to do their job of education.

Too much time is spent each day on discipline and basic skills and behavior problems that result from parental neglect.

Parents can help fix the school system without leaving home.

Simply accept and added level of responsibility and become active participants in their children’s lives. You can judge what a young kid says, and how they behave by the standards imposed on them by the parents. It’s tough to say “no” to your kids, when other parents say, “Yes”, or don’t say anything at all, because the kids are left un-attended.

Too many parents think it is the schools and teachers job to instill dignity, respect and discipline into their kids. BUT IT IS NOT. That is the parents’ job. The schools job is to educate kids. Help fix LAUSD by fixing your kids, so the school can do its job. (Teach them how to read, write, add, etc.) Asking your kid, “How was school today? Did you do your homework?”, is not taking responsibility for your child’s education.

I know it’s tough to be a parent to your kid, these days. The high cost of housing, taxes and gas makes it hard to make ends meet, and both parents (if there are even both parents at home) have to work long hours, and travel through long traffic-jammed commutes, for not enough pay, at the end of the day.

And at the end of that day, It’s much easier to say, “yes”, than argue a long protracted battle over how late a kid can stay out, or how many hours they can use myspace, youtube, ipod, xbox, or even regular old TV. And it doesn’t help when other parents refuse to do a thing to help instill discipline, morals or standards in their kids.

But you must rise to the challenge and be the leaders and role models in your kids’ lives. Parents don't rely on the City to be your kids’ babysitters after school. Rely on each other. Spend more time talking to each other about after school activities. Do more for each other. Talk about what your kids are and are not allowed to say and do. Try and convince other parents to go along with the higher standard, so all the kids that play together lift each other up, instead of drag each other down.

So that's ONE thing the community can do to fix the schools (besides reducing classroom size, paying teachers more so we can recruit new ones, after school programs, safer streets and other things that are out of your control):

Take on more responsibility to do the job you asked for when you had a kid. Be a mentor -- to your own kids. You cannot leave the job of raising your kids and teaching them responsibility and values needed to keep them in school, graduating and productive members of society we need them to be to a school system. That’s not THEIR job, it’s YOURS. Take on the challenge. It will be almost as enriching and rewarding of an experience as myspace or YouTube.

By city council taking a retreat, it allowed me to reflect on what I would have said at the retreat.

I think Councilmembers are missing out on a real opportunity to take the power of those City TV 35 cameras and use it for more than dog and pony show photo opportunities and campaign grandstanding. Councilmembers are sounding and looking like Top 40 deejays, during the grunge rock era. A little corny and no ones buying it.

So from here on out, in order to try and provide you with the example of the type of leadership talk that is needed to transform our community and help bring it out of the crisis; every time ZD steps to the mic, for general public comment (and whenever possible during agenda items, he hopes to use the opportunity to try and out Tony Robbins, Tony Robbins. In other words, try and use the two minutes to run a citywide hypnotherapy session that replaces old, un-empowering beliefs that preventing people from making the positive contributions we need as a community and replace them with the new, empowering beliefs. And once the viewers have been reframed to allow their subconscious mind to congruently communicate with their conscious mind, you eliminate the mixed signal you send to yourself and others. Then add a little emotion down the neuro-superhighway and you create the passion that drives you and triggers you into taking action.

And I challenge my media cast mates, all fifteen members of City Council and Mayor Villaraigosa to join me in the challenge.

Thank You,

Zuma DoggPublic Advocate of the Community

More Effective City Hall PRby Zuma Dogg

Of course it is an elected officials job to put the best spin on the city at all times. I think Councilmember Richard Alarcon does the best job of representing his position during public discussions. (He passes the ZD/Robbins litmus test. And ZD says Richard is very, very good. And that’s not a slam. I may disagree with his politics, and I’m not saying whether I do, or do not; I’m just saying whether the guy has practiced NAC/NLP or not, he instinctively “has it”.)

But City Council and the mayor is constantly making ZD’s head explode with terrible linguistics. These dear, sweet politicians are trying so hard to put the best foot forward, but they always end up putting it in their mouth, without even knowing.

The most important thing I learned from mi amigo Tony Robbins, that I am able to use on a day to day basis, is the stuff on language patterns.

For example, if a kid is going up to bat you can shout from the stands, “Don’t strike out!!!” Or, you can say, “Go get a hit!!!” Both exhortations are well-intended comments to try and produce the same result (success).

However, by saying, “Don’t strike out”, all the kid does is get nervous, worry about striking out, imagines himself striking out and has a higher chance of striking out. By saying, “Get a hit”, the mind sends a different picture, and therefore different signal to the body, and you increase the chances producing the desired outcome (of a hit).

Similarly, I know the mayor and City Council are always trying to put the best face on the city and try and prove to the constituents that a solution is on the way.

However, it’s all in how you frame the issue through proper wording.

And I’ll change the names to protect the offenders:

CM 1: “Los Angeles is the gang crime capital of the world.” Now, I know the CM was trying to get people passionate about the issue to try and trigger the community into action. However, this “don’t strike out” version never should have been uttered. How about (and you have to make it a little negative/real sounding, can’t make it sound like Disneyland, or you lose credibility, so how about), “We all deserve the right to feel safe in our own neighborhoods.” (And take it from there.)

CM 2: “I know we have some people who are very apprehensive in the Valley. “What does it mean for us?”

Don’t set up the positive things you are about to say, with a negative suggestion (embedded command). It makes people say, “Oh yeah, it’s bad for the Valley.” The proper “framing” would be to simply say the good things it means for the Valley and the people who were asking the questions will know you are addressing their concerns – and all the less observant will simply feel good about what you are saying. That’s not to say you should hide the fact that a hospital is going to be built on toxic quicksand. But don’t embed a negative image when even ZD doesn’t think it is necessary.

CM 3: And one of the reasons that I support this and I am voting for this today, is not just on the project…I’m voting for this project because we need affordable housing in this City; and that is even a higher priority.Uh oh…CM just embedded the message that something isn’t congruent in CM’s message…something is fishy…plus you are saying, “WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IT IS EVEN A HIGHER PRIORITY” while approving a very expensive luxury project. There’s no need to say all that. How about, “The great thing about this project is that it includes some of the affordable housing that is such a high priority for the city, so this was one way to get some built.”

CM 4: “You know, Downtown gets beat-up a lot”. (Who paid you to say that, San Diego Chamber of Commerce?) There was no need to add that superlative.

FUTURE PUBLIC COMMENTby Zuma Dogg

Good morning Los Angeles, my name is Zuma Dogg. There are a lot of important people watching this; both here in Council chambers, on both sides of the ropes; from both political parties.

People watching on TV in City Hall; people watching throughout the City who work for the city in one capacity or the other; all the news and media reporters watching; and of course, the most influential leaders of the community watching right at home.

Because if you are watching the City Council meeting on TV 35, then you obviously value your mind and your time beyond what Spike TV or even “quote unquote” news channels are willing to offer.

You are taking the time to stay informed which is a good thing to do since you also have the right to vote.

And we all have one thing in common, right now. We are all living here together, in Los Angeles, among each other and we all have an important role to play within the community, even if you aren’t sure what it is.

But one thing I’m sure everyone can agree on: Wouldn’t you like to have the best day of your life today? And if it can’t be the “best” day of your life, wouldn’t you at least like to have today be the best possible day, better than it is currently set to be?

I know you ALWAYS wake up and strive to make today the best day it can be…FOR YOU!

But then somehow, something always seems to interfere with the plan. When you are stuck in rush hour traffic, it’s human nature to get mad everyone else stuck in traffic who is making you wait.

But those are the people who have to do their job, so you can do yours. And some of those people had to be in that traffic, so you could go see the Lakers at Staples Center or go see a movie.

So I guess we’re really all on the same team. One team. Cause the kinds of problems we are stuck with, we experience together; no matter what political side you are on, what media outlet you work for, or no matter what you socio-economic class.

If the ship sinks, we are all going down together. And if the City moves in the right direction and becomes a much better place, then we will all be dancing in the streets together, enjoying the quality of life improvements.

And there always seems to be a little disagreement, now and then as to how to achieve the goal.

But there are some things we can all do in the meantime to help improve the quality of all our lives, because at the end of the day, that’s what all of this is supposed to be about.

You see, too many times people wait for that perfect magic moment to take action, or start a project or decide to start making a difference.

I just have to wait until they overturn AB 2007. I’m waiting for them to pass that ordinance. Hire more people in that department first. Wait till the next elections. Add that amendment. Prevent that measure. Lock up the bad people, first. Put up the fences, first. Pass a law to stop this. Repeal the law that prevents that.

NO WONDER TRAFFIC IS IN GRIDLOCK…THE SYSTEM IS IN GRIDLOCK.

But as you go about your day, I know there are things that catch you attention that you can quietly do to make a difference and help uplift the community and society throughout the day.

Common sense is a good place to start. I know a lot of people are frustrated because they see the problems, but their bosses don’t want to listen because they are too busy, or think you are too stupid.

Zuma Dogg is empowering all people in the City of Los Angeles to simply start using your own good common sense to get the job done correctly, even if your boss is an idiot who caused the problem in the first place.

I know there are a lot of people watching who have all the answers and know what to do. Just start doing it. If you see the clock at Van Nuys is broken, don’t wait until the clock repair guy makes his annual clock repair rounds, pick up the phone, call 311 and say, I’ve been watching the council meeting for three weeks and the clock is still broke at van nuys.

Let’s just say the city council passed an ordinance to make today the best possible day it can be in the city of los angeles.

And no matter what, everyone had to play along with the game to see just how much better the city of los angeles could be for all of the people working and living in the city simply by becoming aware of all the things you can do to help improve the quality of your life and others as you go about your day.

What about all the things you can easily be doing better on the job if you just decided to start using common sense to get the job done, even though it is your bosses fault in the first place?

Imagine everyone else around the city at the exact same time, thinking of all things they can do in on the job, in their position as an elected official or resident of the community that could easily make a noticeable difference throughout the course of the day and maybe we’ll all end up getting home ten minutes earlier and a little less stressed out than the day before, because not only easier for you to do a job more efficiently using common sense, but the person on the receiving end benefits as well, so both people’s stress level goes down, the job gets done more quickly and efficiently and everyone gets to start doing what they really want to do, a little bit sooner, and a little bit longer.

And I’m sure if you look around you can think of someone who you admire for all they have achieved in the timeframe they have achieved it. Be it an Olympic athlete, your favorite guitar player, award winning actor or best-selling author. I have a feeling they are making very productive use of their time. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet a lot of the people I have admired over the years (mostly musicians, executives and authors) and they all have one thing in common…

They all make very productive use of their time. And there is a difference between feeling that you are busy (swamped) and making productive use of your time.

Something that really helped get some leverage on ZD was seeing his actor and rock star friends start and complete projects, go on tour, win the awards and buy the new house, while I was sitting at home watching on TV.

So you can laugh at ZD for not having any money, but at least I don’t sit around watching Wheel of Fortune or play Xbox or watch sports on TV all weekend. That’s why I started to do the public access show, that led to the community activism that has been quite a rewarding experience.

I was trying to make some contacts in the entertainment industry to approve the ideas I had for a show, which would therefore validate the creativity with the official “green light” seal of approval.

Meanwhile, after waiting one day too many for a return phone call, I took the camera to Venice Beach and just started filming and airing it on public access.

If I had waited for someone to give me permission to express myself and validate my comedy, I would still be at home waiting to film the first segment. Meanwhile, although Comedy Central will still reject me to this day, did that make them right? When you look at the level of recognition I have enjoyed over the past six, seven years – well that’s a train I’m glad I didn’t miss because I was waiting for an official “Green light”/ validation for some executive who has had a million flops since rejecting Zuma Dogg.

I’m sure there are some things you have been waiting to start until someone gives you official permission to be the most awesome person you can be.

Just because someone says you are not right for the job, or aren’t good enough for the team or the cast, doesn’t mean they are right. Just because someone tells you that you are wrong, doesn’t mean that you are wrong.

So I know there are a lot of people who aren’t being all that they can be and are dragging the system down instead of helping to move it along, because they are mad at the system and are waiting for that magic moment when the starts line up with the moon to start having the best day of their life.

Man…I let years pass by waiting for that magic moment. There hasn’t been a good day yet for me to take a trip downtown to city hall for public comment. Man, I’m still not ready for my first comment. There’s more to research, I’m not rested enough, the traffic is too bad, I’m too hungry, I’ m not getting paid, it’s only five minutes for a several hour trip, what if no one is watching today and of course, I simply just don’t feel like it:

But as I look back a year and three months later, I’m kinda glad I didn’t’ wait for that perfect moment and just started.

There are people sitting in this room who are waiting and could be doing more. And I know we have differences on many issues, but I know there are people in this room who could be doing much more in their own community. There are people who are hiding behind others and not stepping up and being the leaders they know they can be. Everyone holds back and tries to keep from being wrong, instead of rising to the challenge of being an innovative leader and being right.

The city is in a crisis situation and there is no time for the type of walking on eggshell, lack of common sense, hiding behind the next guy, don’t ask me it’s the other person's job mentality.

As you go about your day, imagine that it is make today the best day it can be day, then act accordingly.

If everyone does it, it will be.

A TESTIMONIALby Zuma Dogg

Anonymous said..."I'm not a sucker for gurus...those of us who think for ourselves never are."

Just because you take in knowledge and information from outside sources (consultants, research, education, training) does not mean you do not think for yourself.

And besides providing the private consulting session (in the group/event setting), he is also "coaching" the event and making sure everyone does all the reps on all the machines.

Is there anything wrong with people using coaches and trainers? Michael Jordan had a coach. Olympic athletes need coaches to help them get to the finish line as quickly as possible.

If you feel like a sucker and feel someone is trying to tell you what to think, well I see how fear and ignorance has probably prevented you from some of (even higher) success and achievement you should be currently enjoying.

Your "emotional trap" has sabotaged your success in the past, and has directly or indirectly, prevented you from being where you really wish you were, hasn't it.

You can say I am calling the kettle black, and I will go as far as to say, "it takes one to know one".

But I got over that one, a long time ago. Long enough that the first time I attended one of his events, I bounced from the seminar (unemployed at the time) to a NYC radio station within a week or too. It turned out to being the experience of a lifetime that I had always dreamed of...and it was as much fun as I could have possibly had.

So that was worth $500.

Then, at another of his seminars a couple years later -- the "behind the scenes, sealed-lipped, off mic, off camera by choice executive; who wasn't in the mood for all the diversionary "Robbins happy, happy...joy, joy community non-sense" for suckers.[I WAS THERE FOR SERIOUS BUISINESS REASONS...NOT SOME WARM AND FUZZY SING-SONG B.S.!!!]

But, somehow that day, he used the force against me, unleashed the outgoing public performer and I've been singing Whitney Houston, on-camera, inside the Santa Monica library -- and willing to express myself, publicly, in over-the-top ways that most people would rather die than be forced to do in public ever since. [We're only talking about singing, dancing and acting like a fool. But most people would still choose death than risk/fear of such public humiliation.]

So now, it would be nice to get into the room for a little Robbins hypnotherapy to help me take the congruent actions to improve the quality of my life in some other areas ZD has been neglecting that has been preventing me from being where I would like to be.

[And we all know what those things are.]

However, the past six years on public access as "comedy" ZD, and even more so, the past year and three months in community activism has topped the experience of my radio career. (So THAT was worth $500.)

You know the way a lot of people get to laugh their ass off at that sucker Zuma Dogg; who knocks himself out to show up at City Hall and blog and call radio -- and we get to sit back and be entertained by his "tap dancing ass" while he drives himself into the ground? Well, ZD GETS TO USE TONY ROBBINS LIKE THAT!!!I'm laughing my ass off at that sucker Tony Robbins. Do you know what a HUMUNGOUS PAIN IN THE BUTT IT IS TO PULL OFF THESE EVENTS?

Don't be fooled...he hasn't pulled on off yet that didn't force him to use all his "state management" on himself.

And LOL!!! Especially all his staffers and management that are running around, working round the clock...trying to keep the event running on time, when you are dealing with all these people, and the operating costs are always more than Tony would like, at the end of the day, I would imagine.

MEANWHILE...

ZD gets to stroll right into the room, soak it all in...the crowd, the music, the excitement...

Then Tony has to stand there...for hours and hours on end, knocking himself out...trying to top his last performance because that's the human nature that drives Tony to do one more seminar, or ZD to do one more public comment/radio call even if you don't feel like it, inside.

Meanwhile, he can't leave the stage. He can't leave for lunch ten minutes early. He can't come back into the room a half hour late.

He can't appear to be dis-associated to the event and appear to be running through the performance, even though it's his 8 millionth seminar and the logistics have been especially challenging at that location. (Same with Springsteen or Justin Timberlake)

So I hope I can be in attendance in Long Beach to watch Tony have to knock himself out for all those suckers who don’t know any better.

Because again, ZD likes both levels...the seminar for the content and coaching/training/group hypnotherapy session itself (and all those benefits)...

and the "show behind the show" of the super-hard sell that is going on at all times that most people are not even aware of.

And once you realize this (usually through a "jedi master" telling a young luke skywalker, like in City politics)...you get to leave the kitchen with the cookbook.

You may have heard me mention Tony among Deming, Ries and others a few times, but I never really went into it, and revealed in depth how TR unleashed ZD...and although it is fun to tell that story and give him a lot of credit for being such a great "coach" (i like to call it clinical hypnotherapist) -- but I shouldn't give him too much credit, and he doesn't want too much credit.

After all, he could never sing and dance as good as me!!!

But daaaaaaaaaaamn, can't Kelly Clarkson thank American Idol and give them some credit for her (personal and career) breakthrough. No one's trying to say that Simon Cowell sang the songs for her...Kelly Clarkson would have been just as talented and as good of a singer, with or without American Idol.

But look at all the benefit that both parties enjoyed when Kelly decided to show up for the auditions. I’m sure there are at least one or two other people just as good, or better than Kelly Clarkson, who had a lot of reasons (limiting beliefs) that kept them away from the auditions that day. They were home watching on TV complaining how they are so much better than Kelly Clarkson and would easily beat her.You’re so worried you’re gonna walk into the room, Tony’s gonna “tell you what to thing” and “force you to hand over all decision making processes to him”, and give ten percent of your money to him, and put “Robbins For World Leader” signs in your window and force you to push his agenda.

When all the guy is trying to do is make you feel so good about getting a shot in the arm, that you don’t even notice what happened. And while he’s at it, he gives you a lollipop on the way out, so you will remember you had a good time and will want to come back for an oil change.

contact: zumadogg@gmail.com

Zuma Dogg's LAUSD "Education Reform" Politician Style Speech [What to watch for under new school board and what direction society needs to take.]

As of July 3, 2007 a new Villaraigosa-backed majority (four of seven) LAUSD school board has taken over the latest “reform effort” and started by voting out President Marlene Canter and voting in new LAUSD board president, Villaraigosa’s Monica Garcia.

Team Villaraigosa is using the position of, “Hey, forgive us if we take tight control of the reigns and try and do some big things, quickly. The kids have waited long enough, and the previous administrations have failed for too long.

Well I’m sure everyone reading this agrees we have a major crisis on our hands regarding the public education system, and specifically LAUSD, and we do need change and we need change now.

However, a sense of urgency does not give a small group of politicians and their colleagues to run rough-shot over the community with public funds as they take the annual “order of business” and run it through (the agenda that LA Weekly reports was sent to Garcia with the mayor’s name still on the file) without going through committee and without public input and before the statistics and answers they are calling for have been provided?

Without Zuma Dogg making the mistake of forcing every reader to see how the sausage is made (explain my detailed timeline that drew me to these predictions), here are some things I would expect VillarGarcia’s LAUSD school board to try and start doing:

a) Whereas, the annual “order of business” didn’t go through committee, don’t expect too many other things to be run through committee, either.

b) Whereas, VillarGarcia wants to steamroll through the agenda with as little friction as possible (from boardmembers, as well as the public), watch for Monica to call for “NO QUESTIONS FROM BOARDMEMBERS UNLESS THEY VOTE AND APPROVE FOR A BOARDMEMBER TO ASK THE QUESTION FIRST. And guess which four boardmembers will never have enough time to vote, “Yes” to allow the question from opposing boardmembers?

c) Whereas, you are not running things through committee anyway, won’t let boardmembers ask questions without a vote to allow the question to be asked first; you may as well cut back to one meeting a month;

d) Whereas, you claim to want MORE parental input regarding the future of your kids at LAUSD, by cutting back meetings to once a month, you reduce the opportunity for the public to provide that input and;

e) Whereas, Zuma Dogg says you are going to even try to cut back the once monthly public input to five or ten minutes, no matter how many people show up to provide the parental input you campaigned on including in this process.

f) Whereas, how come before you had any parental input, any results of the research you requested, or anytime to discuss as a board, in a public forum your plans for the year – it magically pops off Monica Garcia’s computer with the file tracing back to education expert Antonio Villaraigosa’s computer?

g) Whereas, because Zuma Dogg feels it was the same “order of business” left over from Richard Riordan’s computer, toward the same goal of the Thomas Sanez’ authored AB 1381 (Private Counsel to Villaraigosa and frequent spokesperson for Antonio when the mayor couldn’t take the AB 1381 “public heat”/simple questions from the public)

h) Whereas, AB 1381 was deemed unconstitutional and illegal, and AB 1381 was trying to pull all the budgetary spending power of the school’s $20 billion plus construction and repair budget in the hands of one person (the school superintendent, that they mayor hoped to control);

i) Whereas, oh yeah…in case you still aren’t concerned, I forgot whereas watch Monica Garcia try and punt the Inspector General as far away from her agenda as possible, even if she has to have him physically removed by the Sergeant of Arms – and whereas ZD says what the new VillarGarcia board vote to increase the amount of expenditures that require board approval to be increased to $3 million dollars. (I think it’s currently $250,000.)

j) Zuma Dogg says you have been warned to please be watching for MORE accountability and transparency with the new VillarGarcia run LAUSD school board.

k) And now, ZD will focus on gathering some of the input VillarGarcia is trying to cut, and will try and recap it here. Please send all LAUSD “real-reform” feedback to zumadogg@gmail.com.

But first, before I present my LAUSD “real-reform” platform (criticism of current LAUSD attempts, highlighting the positive reform measures they are taking charge of, and additional ideas that may, or may not already be on the runway);

As mentioned in my previous articles on Deming (as published in ‘94’s “Quality Digest”), recent LA Weekly article on “SCAG” (Southern California Association of Governments) and blogging, most of the high-quality jobs the previously available to college graduates have gone overseas to Asia and China. (Did you see today’s news reports that China is now #3 economic superpower, surpassing Germany?)

And of course the manufacturing industry is overseas, as well.

That leaves the U.S. and especially Southern California in a strategy position it hasn’t been in for quite some time, if ever in the industrial era: The under dog position. The U.S. and as I will refer to for purposes of this audience, California, must look around and say, “ How do we rebound, now that we allowed it to get away from us, and we are left with the low-quality, low-income angle.

In other words, how do we regain the ground we lost to oversea economies that took Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s 14 Point plan, implemented it, and now has the U.S. scrambling to keep its society above water.

It starts at the top. It’s a prevailing philosophy. Successful management, like the type responsible for turning the manufacturing tables on the U.S. by implementing “quality and productivity” on the job (like Japanese automobiles and electronics manufacturing) would never front-end load management contracts that end up putting inappropriately excessive amounts of project money into salaries of managers and their perks and not enough into the public project, itself, to get the job done. Then the politicians come back and ask for more money though bonds and taxes.

So if you are operating from the premise of, “Well gee, all the high-end, college type jobs have gone overseas along with the manufacturing that left a long time ago, how do we make due with what’s left? The lower-paying, “lower-quality” jobs. (That term is not an insult. That’s how government and economic types categorize it. “high-income”, “low-income”, “high-quality jobs” (higher education, higher skilled, higher paying, higher status), “low quality jobs” (lower education, lower skilled lower payer, lower status).

However, given California’s position in this new global economy, the lines are beign blurred between what constitutes “high skill”/”low skill”; and what level of education you need to make what is considered to be “higher paying” money. (Shortage of vocation workers like electrical workers at DWP has raised the pay.)

COLLEGE READY KIDS?

So just as LAUSD has a 50% dropout rate as it is, with more and more English learners coming into the system that before, there is a lot of LAUSD “order of business” relating to preparing kids to be college ready.

Although this is an ambitious and admirable goal, and of course we need a certain percentage of LAUSD students to continue on to college (the career of further education to fill the jobs requiring that added level of skill and knowledge), it should not be the goal of LAUSD to prepare all kids for college.

The goal should be to prepare all kids for graduation and if you have to prepare them for college, the added raising of the bar will actually increase the drop out rate as a whole new level of students are not able to rise to the higher level of achievement, because you have not yet fixed the system for them.

The current Villaraigosa-backed majority school board, under Monica Garcia, has an overly ambitious agenda for a board that just got started and doesn’t have the answers to the questions that will allow them to provide the actual solutions that will actually improve the district.

However, although they are biting off more than they should regarding the policy (a full streamroll ahead approach)/already raising the bar and making it more challenging and demanding for students) – you should be doing EVERYTHING to improve/fix the system for the students and parents! Make no demand until you have provided the environment and system (method) to achieve such goal.

Some basic examples:

Monica Garcia should let Superintendent David Brewer make a new public announcement, (under this new annual “order of business”) to all parents, students and teachers that transformation is on the way. One leader is now in charge of this transformation and will be working with the school board to achieve new levels of heightened student achievement and increased graduation rates. And request input from all interested parties, from wherever it may come from.

Empower everyone on the job in the district from tree trimmer to school board president to use common sense and life-experience to do their best job, and let management know how they can help you do a better job/improve.

For example, maybe the gym teacher suggests moving classes to after lunch, when the kids have more energy to burn, rather than right before lunch when they are ready to drop because no one eats a good breakfast. Maybe a principal that tells teachers, "Hey no mid-term exams the day after American Idol finals. Kids won't study, and overall test scores will drop." (Based on what the teacher learned last year.)

Let common sense prevail, wherever legally possible. Knowledge comes from everyone within the system (it is called a school “system”), and if your ship is sinking, don’t ask what kind of life jacket they are throwing you.

For example, maybe the janitor can tell cafeteria not to serve a certain item anymore, because most of it is ending up in the trash. (The meal planner would never know, because all of it was served. Or the parking lot attendant who notifies the principal that the lights need to be replaced in the staff parking lot because kids shot them with a BB gun. (And the principal would never know because he leaves work before dark.) Kids know the problems; parents know the problems; teachers know the problems. Many of them have the solutions. Embrace your biggest asset, community input. (And I see Brewer doing that.)

So, a more immediate first thing that can be done to fix the school system starts at home. Parents need to accept responsibility and become active participants in their children’s lives. You can judge what a young kid says, and how they behave by the standards imposed on them by the parents. It’s tough to say “no” to your kids, when other parents say, “yes”, or don’t say anything at all, because the kids are left un-attended.

Too many parents think it is the schools and teachers job to instill dignity, respect and discipline into their kids. BUT IT IS NOT. That is the parents’ job. The schools job is to educate kids. Help fix LAUSD by fixing your kids, so the school can do its job. (Teach them how to read, write, add, etc.) Asking your kid, “How was school today? Did you do your homework?”, is not taking responsibility for your child’s education.

I know it’s tough to be a parent to your kid, these days. The high cost of housing, taxes and gas makes it hard to make ends meet, and both parents (if there are even both parents at home) have to work long hours, and travel through long traffic-jammed commutes, for not enough pay, at the end of the day.

And at the end of that day, It’s much easier to say, “yes”, than argue a long protracted battle over how late a kid can stay out, or how many hours they can use myspace, youtube, ipod, xbox, or even regular old TV. And it doesn’t help when other parents refuse to do a thing to help instill discipline, morals or standards in their kids.

But you must rise to the challenge and be the leaders and role models in your kids’ lives. Parents, don't rely on the City to be your kids’ babysitters after school. Rely on each other. Spend more time talking to each other about after school activities. Do more for each other. Talk about what your kids are and are not allowed to say and do. Try and convince other parents to go along with the higher standard, so all the kids that play together lift each other up, instead of drag each other down.

So that's ONE thing the community can do to fix the schools (besides reducing classroom size, paying teachers more so we can recruit new ones, after school programs, safer streets and other things that are out of your control):

Take on more responsibility to do the job you asked for when you had a kid. Be a mentor -- to your own kids. You cannot leave the job of raising your kids and teaching them responsibility and values needed to keep them in school, graduating and productive members of society we need them to be to a school system. That’s not THEIR job, it’s YOURS. Take on the challenge. It will be almost as enriching and rewarding of an experience as myspace or YouTube.

There IS much for LAUSD to do as well, especially in the areas of management of quality and productivity as it related to operations and the administrative system itself. But the parents and kids have a long way to go before they can start pointing too many fingers at the system itself.

HOW ABOUT “JOB READY” KIDS?

How about vocations to prepare kids for today’s U.S. job market? Do you know how much carpenters, plumbers, sales people, electricians, AC/Heating, tile person, car mechanic or truck drivers make these days? ($90,000 plus.)

If high-end college type jobs have left the region and are now overseas in Asia and China, how about the vocations mentioned above, and others are jobs that you cannot export; and you cannot import. (You don’t fly in a construction contractor when you build a new condo. And you can’t import the electricians DWP is short on.)

Not everyone is meant to go to college. It is the school systems job to provide students with the basic, necessary skills to either enter the job market, go on to further vocational training, or college and more interpersonal skill training.

But to say it is the government’s job to prepare all kids for college, means that a diploma has no value as its own entity. A diploma is supposed to be the piece of paper you need to be prepared to enter the job market, not an expected requirement to enter another four-year round of expensive education to prepare you for jobs that are not available, because they have been outsourced and downsized in a new electronic era. Do all kids need to be prepared to learn Shakespeare and calculus?

Today’s school system was created in 50s era to prepare kids to conform for the manufacturing jobs that drove the U.S. economy. Everyone had to conform to the same factory jobs, along the assembly line. No uniqueness required.

Engineers make a lot of money, sales people make a lot of money, real estate agents make a lot of money. Train people for the types of jobs the big corporations need: Sales, administration; and construction of facilities, among others.

LAUSD CHARTER REFORM

Charter schools can be valuable tools to allow the community to partner with the government to help improve the quality of education for the student and be an overall asset toward improving the overall result of the State education system.

However, as in any system, there is concern for flaws that allow for the exact type of fraud, waste and abuse that ends up producing the exact opposite results that are promised (higher student achievement provided more efficiently) and ends up leaving the public system weaker than before (cream of the crop students taken by charters leaving higher percentage of “special needs” and “low-achievers” at LAUSD non-charters, which also means less number of students, then they cut the money to those schools who need the money the most).

So as LAUSD starts to approve more and more charters to help the state better educate the kids, and increase all the right numbers in all the right places…let’s make sure there is enough openness and transparency in the process so as to prevent the types of conflicts of interest and fraud, waste and abuse that intentionally, or unintentionally continues to shoot the system in its own foot, causing it to stumble out of the starting block, time and time again.

THE COMPASSION PRINCIPAL

Since ’94, LAUSD has authorized charters: To this date, there is no accountability standard according to the district. I have also heard that there is an intensive application process. Some people view charter schools as a back door policy to break up the LAUSD district.

And breaking up the district in a meaningful and efficient way would be the right step to take. It’s way too big and way to bureaucratic to operate efficiently. Besides being too big geographically, it’s too wide socio-economically. The higher performing schools in the more affluent areas seem to get the “house advantage” over the lower performers in lower economic areas. (Different needs and attentions.) But even socio-economic inequalities aside, it’s just too big a system to operate as an efficient system. But, we are stuck with this monstrosity of a system, for now.

At Green Dot Charter, applicants are required to include parent income; previous student grades; and require additional parental involvement. And some say the application process is more like a screener, skimming the cream of the crop students from the non-charter, public schools; leaving LAUSD with the special needs, and low-achieving students.

Charter schools are run by a lottery to pick students. But the application process to get into the lottery is more difficult than and Ivy League Law School (12 pages long).

What are bright kids from low-income, less-attentive/non-attentive parents to do? They are being punished because charters won’t take them, because parents won’t commit to the added time, or don’t make enough money. Why are we blaming these kids for who they are born to?

As in “special education” students, “highly gifted” students (150 and above I.Q.) is an equally distributed number across all income, social and cultural levels.

So this means there are a minimum of 5000 “highly gifted” kids in the 73% Hispanic and 11% black LAUSD district which reflects the demographic makeup of the district (including 9% white).

So what do we do about these low-income, neglected geniuses not having their uniqueness being catered to?

You have to prove that you care about kids in the way THEY want you to care about them, instead of disenfranchising them; having them drop out, and fall prey to gangs, and we lose out on qualified workers to help keep society not only competitive in a global economy, but simply ticking and functioning on a day to day basis.

If you get them interested in these vocational skills, then they will be interested enough to want to learn the basic and more advanced math that is needed for shop, or garage class. And then, that just might provide the jumpstart that will allow them to be able to go on to college, if they choose; or to directly enter the local job market with a higher level of achievement, and there for higher level of skill and value to the job market and therefore, society. DWP can’t find qualified people to do the electrical work.

This is how you reduce the dropout rate as well. Get them interested in a vocation or interpersonal skill that will create the interest to get them involved in the math, science and English skills required to pursue their dream, and you will reduce the dropout rate; reduce the crime rate; reduce the gang rate; reduce the prison population and increase the pool of qualified applicants for jobs we need like teachers, police, fire, sales, administration, and all of today’s highly-demanded jobs.

A charter lottery is supposed to be an open application process of anyone who wants to “go charter”, and then the lottery is based on all applications.

According to one LAUSD “reformer/charter supporter”, all the “involved parents” already pulled their kids out of LAUSD and are in private/charter schools.

So now, LAUSD will start to jump into the privatized Charter game, using public money and handing the management over to private entities. So we have to admit, we now have a two-tier education system, like cable TV. You have basic LAUSD (non-charter public school catering to special needs and English learners) and premium LAUSD (charter public school with “cream of the crop” skimmed off the district).

Instead of preparing for two school systems, all teachers, resources and efforts should go to ONE education system for all..Is the newly elected LAUSD school board members like the zero experience as an educator, Tamar Galatzan, or even “now veteran” Monica Garcia knowledgeable on the type of school reform they are taking on?

I heard that at Green Dot, only 40%=50% of teachers are fully credentialed. In one school, only 3 out of 22 teachers are credentialed. By state law, this number must be equal to LAUSD, which is 90% credentialed across the general district.

IF THIS IS TRUE, THESE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN BY LAW!

Do these charters have the 12%-13% Special Education Classes like LAUSD? Are Charter schools skimming the cream of the crop students leaving LAUSD with the lower performers, then get to say, “LAUSD failed”, while making it easier to charters to show improvement with the cream of the crop highest achievers?

And the system is set up to keep the school in constant, “need for reform” mode.

The State Lottery placed steady funding for books and supplies. So, you must wonder why you hear so many cries from students that they don’t have enough text books. Somehow, the State Lottery money is now being used for wage and benefits.

Now I support as much money for teachers as possible, and they have one of society’s most important jobs (next to the police), but I don’t think there is a need to take the kid’s book and supplies money to achieve the goal.

With a $61,000 average LAUSD salary; plus those who chose to earn more money as mentors; summer school gigs; mentoring new teachers; or simply choose to work at Radio Shack during the three month vacation you are talking $85,000 a year, plus National Board certified teachers make upwards of $100,000. (And who else making this much also gets three months off?) But they had to dip into the kids’ books and supply money because teachers were too uncomfortable at this type of salary level, for nine months work. And teachers don’t generally work as many hours as other executives and workers in this salary range, and don’t have the long “after hours”, at home computer work many executives at this salary level are forced to take home everyday and over the weekend.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

People have given up on our public schools, now they want to pass the buck to charter schools. (I mean pass the buck literally and figuratively.) Although charter schools can be a welcomed blessing to the community and state (society), it is up to the community to insure that the system is providing that service in the best interest of the public, since the state, through LAUSD approval, is handing over public money to be managed and operated by private corporations (non-profit and for-profit organizations), and history has shown that in many cases, conflict of interest, fraud, waste and abuse ends up producing the exact opposite results as required by law.

LAUSD "Mayoral Control" EXPOSE: Did LA Times Make a $1.8 BILLION Factual Error & To See The Future, Look At The Past (It's the same cast and crew)

PUBLIC INPUT: Does LAzy Times have to check their facts better on "mayoral takeover" of the school districts across the country? Did Zuma Dogg catch a $1.8 billion dollar mistake that the rest of the politicians went on to use to help support their arguments? [See story and try and find what ZD couldn't, for the record. Or LA Times, please email your research to zumadogg@gmail.com.]

Second of all, read this article to see exactly what we can expect from the new mayoral-controlled LAUSD school board. (Meet the new boss...same as the old boss.]

[EDITOR'S NOTE: SINCE THIS 3000+ word article is currently three separate articles, until I create some transition paragraphs that will help to better tie it all together for the reader, I'm gonna cut a bunch of stuff previously posted on this thread, then re-blog it in smaller pieces, and will add the paragraphs to help paint the bigger picture/intent of Villargarcia's LAUSD school board.

To help release my frantic creative energy (get it all out), I had to type it all up in that somewhat disjointed form (typos and all) -- and blog it immediatley -- so my head wouldn't explode!

But now that all the Mayor Sam "regulars" (who may have been able to take it all in) to have had a chance to see it, I think the story could be more effectively told, for everyone else who happens to check in here, if I didn't try and tell the fifteen year timeline and thousands of hours of people's research in one blog post. If anyone would like a copy of this original 3000 word article, or for updates of the new material I will be adding to it, send an email request to zumadogg@gmail.com.]

So here's a nice warm and fuzzy education speech ZD has created for when he runs for mayor: However, since we have a crisis on our hand (broken schools means broken society), and time is of the essence -- and since the elections are not for a while -- if any currently elected officials representing their community wants to quote portions of this "Education Reform" speech you may do so, without having to reference the source. You may simply integrate the message as your own. And I certainly hope you do! Zuma

LAUSD: The Future of Our Society Depends On It [Introduction]by Zuma Dogg(rough draft...will be working on this weekend.)

LAUSD July Boardmeeting's "Annual Order of Business" has a lot of talk about "college ready kids".

College ready kids? How about vocations to prepare kids for today’s U.S. job market? Do you know how much carpenters, plumbers, sales people, electricians, AC/Heating, tile person, car mechanic or truck drivers make these days? ($90,000 plus. Many of these jobs pay more than college degree jobs.)

Most of the high-end college type jobs have left the region and are now overseas in Asia and China. But the vocations mentioned above, and others, are jobs you cannot export; and you cannot import. (You don’t fly in a construction contractor when you build a new condo. And you don’t have to go to college to become a construction contractor.)

Not everyone is meant to go to college. It is the school systems job to provide students with the basic, necessary skills to either enter the job market, go on to further vocational training, or college and more interpersonal skill training.

But to say it is the government’s job to prepare all kids for college, means that a diploma has no value as its own entity. A diploma is supposed to be the piece of paper you need to be prepared to enter the job market, not an expected requirement to enter another four-year round of expensive education to prepare you for jobs that are not available, because they have been outsourced and downsized in a new electronic era. Do all kids need to be prepared to learn Shakespear and calculus?

Today’s school system was created in 50's era to prepare kids to conform for the manufacturing jobs that drove the U.S. economy. Everyone had to conform to the same factory jobs, along the assembly line. No uniqueness required.

Engineers make a lot of money, sales people make a lot of money, real estate agents make a lot of money. Train people for the types of jobs the big corporations need: Sales, administration; and construction of facilities, among others.

Since ’94, LAUSD has authorized charters: To this date, there is no accountability standard according to the district. I have also heard that there is an intensive application process. Some people view charter schools as a back door policy to break up the LAUSD district.

CLICK READ MORE

At Green Dot Charter, applicants are required to include parent income; previous student grades; and requires additional parental involvement. And some say the application process is more like a screener, skimming the cream of the crop students from the non-charter, public schools; leaving LAUSD with the special needs, and low-achieving students.

Steve Barr and Caprice Young on ABC-7 News Sunday, charter schools are run by a lottery to pick students. But the application process to get into the lottery is more difficult than and Ivy League Law School (12 pages long).

What are bright kids from low-income, less-attentive/non-attentive parents to do? They are being punished because charters won’t take them, because parents won’t commit to the added time, or don’t make enough money. Why are we blaming these kids for who they are born to?

As in “special education” students, “highly gifted” students (150 and above I.Q.) is an equally distributed number across all income, social and cultural levels.

So this means there are a minimum of 5000 “highly gifted” kids in the 73% Hispanic and 11% black LAUSD district which reflects the demographic makeup of the district (including 9% white).

So what do we do about these low-income, neglected geniuses not having their uniqueness being catered to?

You have to prove that you care about kids in the way THEY want you to care about them, instead of disenfranchising them; having them drop out, and fall prey to gangs, and we lose out on qualified workers to help keep society not only competitive in a global economy, but simply ticking and functioning on a day to day basis.

If you get them interested in these vocational skills, then they will be interested enough to want to learn the basic and more advanced math that is needed for shop, or garage class. And then, that just might provide the jumpstart that will allow them to be able to go on to college, if they choose; or to directly enter the local job market with a higher level of achievement, and there for higher level of skill and value to the job market and therefore, society. DWP can’t find qualified people to do the electrical work.

This is how you reduce the dropout rate as well. Get them interested in a vocation or interpersonal skill that will create the interest to get them involved in the math, science and English skills required to pursue their dream, and you will reduce the dropout rate; reduce the crime rate; reduce the gang rate; reduce the prison population and increase the pool of qualified applicants for jobs we need like teachers, police, fire, sales, administration, and all of today’s highly-demanded jobs.

A charter lottery is supposed to be an open application process of anyone who wants to “go charter”, then the lottery is based on all applications.

According to one LAUSD “reformer/charter supporter”, all the “involved parents” already pulled their kids out of LAUSD and are in private/charter schools.

So now, LAUSD will start to jump into the privatized Charter game, using public money and handing the management over to private entities. So we have to admit, we now have a two-tier education system, like cable TV. You have basic LAUSD (non-charter public school catering to special needs and English learners) and premium LAUSD (charter public school with “cream of the crop” skimmed off the district).

Instead of preparing for two school systems, all teachers, resources and efforts should go to ONE education system for all.

Is the newly elected LAUSD school board members like the zero experience as an educator, Tamar Galatzan, or even “now veteran” Monica Garcia knowledgeable on the type of school reform they are taking on?

I heard that at Green Dot, only 40%=50% of teachers are fully credentialed. In one school, only 3 out of 22 teachers are credentialed. By state law, this number must be equal to LAUSD, which is 90% credentialed across the general district.

IF THIS IS TRUE, THESE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN BY LAW!

Do these charters have the 12%-13% Special Education Classes like LAUSD? Are Charter schools skimming the cream of the crop students leaving LAUSD with the lower performers, then get to say, “LAUSD failed”, while making it easier to charters to show improvement with the cream of the crop highest achievers?

And the system is set up to keep the school in constant, “need for reform” mode.

The State Lottery placed steady funding for books and supplies. (In other words, they felt they knew what they would be getting.) It’s now used for wage and benefits.

With a $61,000 average LAUSD salary; plus those who chose to earn more money as mentors; summer school gigs; mentoring new teachers; or simply choose to work at Radio Shack during the three month vacation you are talking $85,000 a year, plus National Board certified teachers make upwards of $100,000. (And who else making this much also gets three months off?) But they had to dip into the kids’ books and supply money because teachers were too uncomfortable at this type of salary level, for nine months work. And teachers don’t generally work as many hours as other executives and workers in this salary range, and don’t have the long “after hours”, at home computer work many executives at this salary level are forced to take home everyday and over the weekend.

Charter school purpose: People have given up on our public schools, now they want to pass the buck to charter schools. (I mean pass the buck literally and figuratively.)

AND TO MONICA GARCIA, OR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, OR WHOEVER’S LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD: How come you already have all the answers (8 point “order of business”) stream-rolled through on July 3, 2007 without going through committee and without public input from parents – BEFORE you have the facts, statistics and answers (based on these actual facts, not previous “mayoral controlled” takeover plans based on other major cities and previous LAUSD board takeover attempts from the same cast of Riordan/Broad takeover players.

ZumaTimes.comcontact: zumadogg@gmail.com or (310) 928-7544 with additional facts or corrections.

High Density Mixed Used Commercial Housing vs 1st Time Homebuyers Program

Everyone reading this should email voicepub@gmail.com and aks him to email you the same PDF file of this month's issue that he emailed ZD. TONS, TONS, TONS...TONS OF COMMUNITY INFO, MEETING DATES/LOCATIONS, etc!

[Jose, the GOOD CD 14 "docato", is ZD's fellow "Citywide Shady-Patroller" and takes up a lot of space in the "Bat Computer" data-bank.]

High Density Mixed Used Commercial HousingBy Jose Aguilar

On January 2006, Steve Valenzuela CRA/LA Regional Administrator for the Eastside Regional Area project mentioned on the 2007 CRA/LA Budget Narratives that CRA needs to bring in a first time homebuyers program that has 60,000 subsidy for a first time home buyers to buy in the Adelante Project area.

The reason for this is that Boyle Heights has currently a 75% absentee landlord rate. We are left with only 25% owner occupant rate.

The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has failed to implement ANY of their own Guidelines starting with EA1010 which provides direct loans to property owners for home improvements, EA1080 Housing Trust funds for first time buyers for assistance in down payments and related costs, EA1990 House Trust funds for new affordable housing within Council District 14. EA2140 provides funds for interest-subsidy programs loans to property owners of commercial buildings and EA2700 is a program for retention and restoration of businesses in priority areas.

Our community wants low density housing that creates home ownership and helps make renters into home owners without creating a huge unsustainable population high density influx into our overly burden city infrastructure system.

This infrastructure which includes parking availability that will lead to, permittedparking in the surrounding residential area and which will lead to traffic gridlock and draconian traffic mitigation measures that will make our main thoroughfares into one-way Boulevards.

Police coverage is at the lowest levels of population coverage area compared toany other city in the United States. What will happen when all this high densitydevelopment becomes reality without building the infrastructure first.

Due to global warming, the Sierra Snow Pack is at 50% of its snow pack capacity.The reduced water supply (e.g. Drought) will increase expeditiously the water rates will increase in order to subsidize water to an ever-increasing unsustainable high-density population growth in our region.

Citizen Alert: Boyle Heights is currently having their community plan reviewed.

Jose Aguilar: Chairman for the Housing Sub-Committee Chair for the Adelante Project Area, 2005-2006. For more reference about high density housing and its affects look up the LA Weekly June 1st 2007 on the article "What Smart About Smart Growth" Also in the February 14th 2007 issue of the newspaper the article named "Planning for Disaster" by Esquire Zuma Dogg". LA WEEKLY website

People "For" allowing these non-union, un-documented workers to take jobs from documented/union workers is cheaper labor.

People "Against" this concept remind you that at the same time City Council adds new fees and tax hikes (bulky item, trash collection, solid waste, so much more) on these union/documented workers...the un-docs are taking their jobs, there is no accountability for their work/training/safety...and no way of assuring they are not a terrorist who just flew off a plane to sabatoge the project.

ZD IS: "AGAINST".

CITY COUNCIL IS: "FOR". (Since they know about it, and allow it, and don't take saftety precautions to prevent it.)

POST YOUR VOTE UNDER COMMENT SECTION.

AND WHILE YOU ARE AT IT...Please post a comment to City Council asking them to please try and "tighten up" the meetings. They waste hours each week on duplicative grandstanding and ass-kissing. Tell the eighth CM to press the button to speak, they don't have to stand up on camera to say, "I absolutley agree with the first seven CMs who said the same meaningless PR fluff. I WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE FRIVOLOUS, TIME-WASTING THAT THESE CMs ARE USING THE PEOPLE'S TIME AND MONEY OVER.

And Council, maybe you should get some leverage on the shady (Valley) Jaycees operator who is using it to gather names and addresses for his future Council run, while posting on this blog from City Hall on City time...cause he keeps reminding me of things to mention. Like un-documented construction workers and how much time they waste each meeting with duplicative grandstanding, ass-kissing, marching bands, accolaids and raising all the problems -- then voting "yes" anyway. HEY COUNCIL...my time is valuable...please don't make me sit through all your time-wasting bullsh*t. I have serious business to address.

VENICE BEACH UPDATE ON A LIGHTER NOTE:ZUMA DOGG makes triumphant appearance at the "Venice Custom Bicycle Event 2007" at Venice Beach Saturday. VenicePaparazzi.com was there, and copyright infringed me by snappin' all kinds of shots, and of course she had to jump in for some of her own pictures with, "Zuma Dogg the Great" as she insists on calling me. (Who am I to argue with the people?) See the photos of this hot photographer, ZD, and the entire fantastic community event sponsored by "The City of Los Angeles". T shirts are back, Matt's incense is back, Zuma is back...VENICE IS BACK!!!

And to City Council...however miserable the past year and whatever has been fighting and waiting...It was almost worth it during ZD's triumphant stroll down Ocean Front Walk, yesterday...where the rastas and others who used to "battle" and "curse" me for space, were jumping out to give me a hand shake, heart pound, and "bless, bless".

And let me tell you City Council, I'm amazed and shocked how many people throughout the day at Venice recognized ZD from TV 35. (I mean, these are rastas, and hippies, and artists and kids and skateboarders...you wouldn't think they would be watching a City Council meeting.

AND EVEN THOUGH THIS TELLING OF THIS STORY IS GONNA MAKE THE HATERS HEAD EXPLODE...the smart people should be aware, it's good for ZD to get out of the batcave and experience the feedback. I think I've reached the level where I have some serious folks attention (on MY side of the ropes, not yours) who are WAY EXCITED that ZD no longer feels comfortable being "combative" with Eric over first amendment stuff. Hopefully, we are past that...and hopefully, I wouldn't respond as loudly (although still legally) if the issue arises "on the spot" while the clock is ticking. I want to start walking up to the podium and be your "two minute mandated retreat leader"...trying to inspire people on the "common ground" issues that even two respectful opponents can agree needs attention.

HOWEVER, ZD WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT HIS "VENICE BEACH ITEM 60" THE DAY HE TOOK OFF HIS HAT AND GLASSES AND WALKED OFF INTO THE SUNSET AND BACK ONTO VENICE WAS HOPEFULLY IT FOR A WHILE. WE'LL SEE...not making any hard promises, one way or the other...but I do feel like I have burned my share of rubber, for now...and some other folks can start showing up a little bit...And after my LAUSD and "Selling Out the Pueblos" articles from this week...those my friend, are my "graduation thesises", as well, and please make sure to check them out.

I'll continue to blog as well, but I gotta get back to some of the other aspects of "ZD" besides 100% "City Hall". (Wish me luck!)

Since Zuma Dogg predicts the new "mayoral controlled" LAUSD board will be trying to reduce the meetings to once a month, and limit public input even further (you already have to call in 24 hours ahead, even though the "Brown Act" is California State law; and the whole enchilada of "Riorden" style school board takeover tricks to make sure the money ends up in the wrong hands; then they will pass on the difference to YOU with more and more bonds (don't pass them).

I now open up the blog for public comment regarding LAUSD. Concerned parents, administrators, and insiders who know EXACTLY what wheels are in motion over at the shady-as-hell LAUSD school board under Monica Garcia. She scares the shiznit out of me, the way she is running things so far. AND NOW, ZUMA DOGG WILL START THE PUBLIC COMMMENT WITH TWO WORDS, FOR ANTONIO, ELI, RIOREND, GARCIA AND THOSE WHO WILL ATTEMPT TO "WET THEIR BEAKS" WITH THE KIDS SCHOOL MONEY:

INSPECTOR and GENERAL...and let me be specific about the GENERAL...He's there, you can't eliminate his position, and ZD knows how you get rid of him...YOU CUT THE BUDGET. And when ZD posts the rest of the crap you plan to pull, and post it before you pull it...EVERYONE'S EYES WILL BE OPENED AND YOUR BAG A TRICKS WILL TURN IN TO A BAG OF SH*T.

CITIZENS ALERT...CITIZENS ALERT...Call you Councilmember, mayor, LAUSD board member, governor, assmeblymembers, et al and tell them, "HEY PAL...NO WAY I'M GOING TO VOTE 'YES' FOR ONE MORE PENNY OF BOND MONEY FOR THE SCHOOLS UNTIL THERE IS SOME ACTUAL OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY." And when you run through the annual "order of business" without running it through committee, or the public...that's a real f*ckin' problem in ZD's book, the inspector general's book and in the mind's of the voters book...DO NOT PLAN ON ANY MORE BOND MONEY FROM VOTERS ON THIS OR ANY OF YOUR "MAGIC BULLET TRAIN, SUBWAY TO THE SEA, FANTASY LAND B.S."...THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ANY OF THESE ACTUAL POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS, WHILE WE HAVE A BUNCH OF POLITICIANS TAPPING INTO THE RESERVIOR AND DRAINING THE POOL OF FUNDS.

O.K., that's more than two words...but it was based on two words...don't be so picky.NOW, please weigh in, and don't give me that mayoral "maybe we NEED to do it this way now, Zuma...we NEED to break some eggs...they've failed for too long" faulty logic argument...just because the system is broke, doesn't mean y'all can exploit the weakness and suck the life out of the school system like a shady vampire" spin.

JESSICA WETHINGTON MCLEAN STEPS DOWN FROM EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, AS SHE SHOULD, SINCE SHE IS CM JOSE HUIZAR'S EAGLE ROCK PLANNING DEPUTY

JESSICA WETHINGTON MCLEAN STEPS DOWN FROM EAGLE ROCK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, AS SHE SHOULD, SINCE SHE IS CM JOSE HUIZAR'S EAGLE ROCK PLANNING DEPUTY AND SITS ON THE 912 REVIEW COMMISSION. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS WISE DECISION. BUT HERE'S WHAT CITY HALL NEEDS TO WORK ON...DON'T SAY, "FAMILY DEMANDS"...Say, "Due to concerns of conflict of interest as a paid Councilmember staffer, especially as Planning Deputy, I am going to step down as ERNC Boardmember. [But, I will remain on the 912 Review Commission, even though powers that be at City Hall warned against it.] Thanks Guys! ZD

JESSICA WETHINGTON MCLEAN

Eagle Rock Neighborhood CouncilLos Angeles, CA 90041July 10, 2007

Dear Honorable Board Members:

Family demands and other personal commitments necessitate that I withdraw from theERNC Board after five great years. However, I do so knowing that the council is in good hands, with an effective, dedicated board and core leadership that will keep the council true to its goals to improve the community and serve as Eagle Rock’s “Local Link to City Government.”

I will continue advocating for neighborhood councils citywide as a commissioner on the Neighborhood Council Review Commission, and will remain actively engaged in thecommunity — as your neighbor and as a volunteer, as well as through my work asPlanning & Economic Development Director for Councilmember José Huizar.

Sincerely Yours,Jessica Wethington McLean

LAUSD ALERT....LAUSD ALERT....LAUSD ALERT...LAUSD ALERT....

Let it suffice to say, ZD has some slight concerns over this new LAUSD school board and their intent. It's almost as important as who the mayor is, or isn't doing. I"M NOT GOING TO ALL THIS EFFORT TO GET YOUR ATTENTION OVER THIS, BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED WITH TEACHING KIDS SHAKESPEAR AND CALCULUS. I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO GET YOUR PEOPLES' ATTENTION ON THIS...WAKE UP YOU BIG DUMMIES...IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHY THE HELL I AM GOING SO BIG WITH THIS LAUSD STUFF...

you obviously are still in the dark. there is no way you can know what i know about what lausd is up to and not be this outraged. F*CK WHATEVER ELSE IS GOING ON IN THIS CITY...LAUSD BUDGET IS DOUBLE THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES...AND YOU CAN KISS THE NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS GOODBYE...73% LATINO!!! WHY WOULD LATINO POLITICIANS ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO "THEIR" PEOPLE AS THEY LIKE TO CALL THEM. GUESS WHAT ASSHOLES...LATINO PEOPLE ARE "MY" PEOPLE TOO...ALL PEOPLE ARE MY PEOPLE AND ALL PEOPLE ARE YOUR PEOPLE...SO IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT I'M WHITE AND LAUSD IS 73% HISPANIC...SHOULD I CARE AND DO LESS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE GETTING RAPED AND ROBBED DON'T HAVE MY COLOR SKIN AND COME FROM A DIFFERENT AREA?

DOES ANYONE HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH O'RIELLY OR DOBBS...WHAT IS HAPPENING AT LAUSD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH EDUCATION. BY THE WAY...NICE JOB WITH BELMONT! CLICK HERE FOR FULL BELMONT BAMBOOZLEWATCH THIS SPACE FOR THE REALEST, DOUGH. And keep talking about who the mayor is, or isn't doing while all the school, park, health and infrastructure money is flying out the back door. YOU BIG DUMMIES!!! YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESERVE FOR WATCHING SOAP OPERAS WHILE POLITICIANS RAPE AND PILLAGE THE KIDS AND THEIR FUTURE.

rape: 2. The act of seizing and carrying off by force (as in the money); abduction (as in the money). 3. Abusive or improper treatment; violation: a rape of justice. [THE DEFINITION FITS...AND 73% of LAUSD IS HISPANIC...WHY ARE YOU RAPING AND PILLAGING THE LATINO COMMUNITY??? WHY ARE YOU BETRAYING THESE PEOPLE? I HOPE THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS AWARE THAT THEY ARE BEING SOLD OUT BY CALIFORNIA POLITICIANS.

I HAVE MORE FAITH IN THIS COMMUNITY THAN THE POLITICIANS WHO CLAIM TO REPRESENT THEM DO. I think by the time people in CD 14 hear what's going on...you're gonna have to ship in caucasian candidates from Canada if you wanna win an election in that district in the future.

Call (310) 928-7544 for all media inquiries.zumadogg@gmail.com

Selling Out The Pueblos: How Corporations and Politicians Target State Money: LAUSD TARGET #1

Selling Out The PueblosBy Zuma Dogg

Lots of “compassion” issues on the table when you listen to the California State Assembly and Los Angeles City Council.

They claim to represent “their” people, and fight for more rights, more of a voice and more money for this low-income segment of the Latino community. (And this segment represents a very large and growing number.)

BUT CITIZENS ALERT TO THE PUEBLOS: DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE “US and THEM” MENTALITY…YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN PROMISED. LOOK AROUND ALREADY. AND NOW, GET READY FOR ZD TO PAINT THE PICTURE THAT WILL HOPEFULLY UN-HYPONTIZE ALL THOSE PEOPLE HYPNOTIZED BY THESE SMOOTH POLITICANS CHOPPERS.

CLICK READ MORE...ZD TAKING THINGS TO THE BIGGER PICTURE LEVELThe LAUSD budget is DOUBLE that of the City of Los Angeles, itself.

It’s no wonder the people hired to set up these schemes, were hired from the top casinos in Vegas. (Seriously!)

I heard some East Coast venture capitalists were caught saying, “We don’t know about schools and education, but there’s a lot of money there.” [That's the attitude and "spirit" of intent.]

And as of today, the big bamboozle to watch out for/method in which politicians will collaborate with corporations and the billionaires that back them (both), is through the privatization of the nations’ education system.

Bill Clinton, George Bush, Bill Gates, Eli Broad and the newest richest guy in the world, Carlos Slim will be leading the way across the country.

And the California Latino Power Posse have been sent out to the Latino community to deliver a message to gain the people’s trust, and vote for the tax increases, bonds, and legislation that promises to give these latino immigrants more money and more rights.

And the illegal immigration that some say is allowed to continue, by design, isn’t just about the cheap labor. All these added people, boost the population numbers, meaning you have to build more schools!!! And all these added people, means you have to get more money for everything else due to the increased numbers. The more people you can show are in your district, means the more money you will be allocated.

But polticians have the system fixed to allow for a little skimming off the top of each pot, and when you play the percentages…it’s in billions, not millions.

So think about it: First they allow the millions of immigrants (legal and otherwise) to come here (1st wedge in). Then, they jam up Sacramento with legislation to get them more rights and more money (2nd wedge). Then they promise this increasing growing voice a bigger piece of the pie, and go out and vote for all the increases at middle class and even the rich property owners expense.

However, if you are taxing the property owners, then they will raise the rents on the people who just voted for it. (But you think they realize that, YET?) And they skim so much off the top, they keep running out of money before they can complete the projects. So they will continue to be broke. And they hope so, cause there is big money to be made off the prison system, too. So we need to boost the prison population numbers, too.

And these politicians organize and “rally the troops” to go out there and get all the State money out there that you deserve, while you live off the radar (see all the illegal vending the mayor allows to take place on public streets and public parks...and I'm not talking about the licensed vending on Venice Boardwalk).

And just as they are telling the masses of pueblos to get out there and vote for all the bonds and tax hikes they will be putting on the ballot, so it can mean more money and opportunity for the pueblos;

They grab inappropriatley excessive amounts of money through the ways that ZD will be chronicling in weeks to come here on this blog, including the non-profit cahoots racket and the national grand daddy of all "pots"...THE LAUSD SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET!!!

And to all these sold-out people who blindly follow and blindly trust these politicians just because they look like them, and their ancestors came from the same place forgot one thing:

You forgot that this is America, aka: a Capitalist society. And corporations run THAT machine. And they back the politicians to get out there and do their dirty work for them.

Zuma Dogg Appears Before 912 Review Commission Over "Conflict of Interest" and The Whole Agenda

ZUMA DOGG REVIEWS THE REVIEW COMMISSION

Alright...I didn't want to go (cause of the traveling pain and overall six hour round trip), but I'm really glad I went to the 912 Review Commission meeting Downtown, Tuesday Evening at the Water Building at Union Station.

Although I am concerned that overall corruption of the system, sort of makes the whole Review Commission process a big joke, to some extent anyway...but as far as any real attempt to improve the system; I feel there are enough thoughtful people, on the right side of the issues; and all the right issues were addressed (the word "takeover" came up a lot, and standardization of the NCs, everything was under review, and whatever the outcomes, it's all on the record, and I did feel like they allowed for public input, in the spirit of public input...and it IS going to be impossible to please everyone. I'll type up the whole enchilada (the agenda with ZD's Legislative Review, cause some of the wording is vauge and problematic. But for now...here's my YouTube, Ebert & Roper review of agenda highlights.

AND, remember, it's Mayor Sam on Kevin James (870 KRLA) tonight at 10pm; Zuma Dogg & Jose Aguilar (like Snoop & Dre) tomorrow (Thurs) night at 8p on Time Warner public access, everywhere in LA...AND: For all the local NC news, and overall City agenda items that actually affect you, that LA Times refuses to print, cause they are hostage to the higher powers, just like the politicians...it's ZUMATIMES.com!!!

URGENT: TRIP NEEDED TO VENEZUELA TO "EXPERIENCE" THEIR ELECTION PROCESS UNDER GUISE OF "EDUCATION SEMINAR"

Wonder if any State or City elected officials went on this trip? I think they met with Hugo Chavez, it looks like?[Looks like Hugo Chavez and Villaraigosa allie Antonio Gonzales. (The Mayor's "Tocayo"!)]

October 12, 2006

Dear WCVI Friends,On behalf of the William C. Velásquez Institute (WCVI), I would like to invite you to join me in attending an Educational Seminar in Caracas, Venezuela. The seminar will entail seven days (6 nights) of activities and travel during November 26 to December 2, 2006. Venezuela's National Elections will take place on December 3, 2006. During our trip we will experience first hand how the country prepares for the electoral process. These elections are likely to have significant implications, not only for Venezuela, but for Latin America and the United States as well.

The seminar will include attending major events for various political campaigns, as well as participating in meetings with non-governmental organizations, government representatives, and political parties of diverse perspectives. In particular, this delegation will pay special attention to Venezuela's ongoing revolutionary and electoral processes.The delegation to Venezuela is part of a leadership education initiative through WCVI's Intermestic Initiative program to expand civic participation in key international issues that have domestic implications. WCVI's travel seminars have taken some 450 prominent Latino community leaders and other professionals to Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Chile, South Africa, Cuba, France, and Sweden since 1987.

The total cost is $1,999 which includes a $250.00 non-refundable deposit to reserve your place. The cost of the trip includes round-trip airfare (from Los Angeles), 6 hotel-nights; transfers between airport and hotel; all program activities; translation (if necessary). Deposits are due ASAP. Full payment is due by November 3, 2006.

WCVI has been developing its leadership initiative on U.S. - Venezuela relations since 2003. WCVI has conducted leadership and other civil society-related activities in Latin America since 1987. To sign up and for more information please contact Celia Brugman or myself at (323) XXX-2217 or by emailing cbrugman@XXXX.org. Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your participation.Sincerely,

WCVI Venezuela Delegation will share their observations and community leaders/experts will discuss election results and their implications for Latin America and the United States Latino Community.

POINT IS: Doesn't Villaraigosa/Nunez/DeLeon/Cedillo/et al, all roll with the WVCI's President Antonio Gonzales? And, doesn't Carr roll with WCVI crew, too? Some say merely a case of "Six Degrees of Separation". But some other folks are sending some pretty clear Batsignals that this is a pretty big picture here.

RELATED ISSUE?: Regarding Jeff Carr’s two organizations he's involved with; Soujourners and Breese…Batcomputer shows no signs of concern regarding the legitimacy of these organizations. It is no secrect, however, that the social service work they do, is in the name of Marxist ideologies.

And, how Jeff Carr and Soujourners founder Wallis are using these legit groups for their agendized, political motivations is the concern of some people.

It's easy to hide and pretend you advocate for religion and people,I got a call from a close advocate friend of mine (who has done TONS to train ZD how to use the Batcomputer) who said, “Zuma, I heard you reported Jeff Carr is a “Marxist communist!?!?” He went on to say, “Jeff Carr is a decent Christian man, with HUGE influence with the religious movement in the Midwest and South.” And went on to tell me what a great, decent, religious guy he is.

He didn’t know anything about Carr’s Soujourners affiliation as CEO of the organization, or, what they stood for and were fighting for. But that’s the easy part. (Mixing in with the community and being that decent, upstanding leader that impresses the community and gains their confidence and credibility.

The challenge and skill is filtering in/introducing the Marxism to mainstream American under the veil of Sojourner movement. It's a tough sell…and you don’t wanna risk blowing the cover. (And this high profile “Czar” gig, definitely put it on the radar, with a mere Google search.)

But Wallis, Carr and all their supporters (Clinton, et al) etc, have been pulling it off. Clinton Administration needs Carr to help preach to the general religious population they couldn't tap into the last time around. They lost religious voters and and see now, as the time to pick up Republican voters, disenfranchised by Bush’s War in Iraq.

And, Ace Smith (Clinton's campaign strategist/guru) is in the middle of it all.

SHADY ALERT: It's a 911 about the 912 REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING TONIGHT First of all, the shadiest bunch of stakeholders in the community, Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's "912 Review Commission" (ooooh...big fancy title...where's the "Dragnet" sounder), will jerk each other off this evening at 6:30pm in the DWP building downtown. (Fraud attracts fraud.) Hopefully, a stakeholder will boogie down to the Skid Row infested "dead as a doornail" downtown building to go, "on-the-record" and do a little recap of all the f*cking bullsh*t, non-sense these wannabe clowns think they are getting away with. [Well they may have been getting away with it, but they aren't fooling anyone. Hopefully, someone can print out my "Racketeering Complaint" against NC, attend the meeting -- and read it, during public comment.]

The purpose of public comment isn't to try and pursuade these desparate community backstabbers, themselves, that NC is nothing more than a big "Planning and Development" racket (they can stick earplug in they ears for all I care, those desperate Charter violators: It's to go "on-record", which paves the way for any legal action, down the line. (If you do not go on the record at these public hearings, you cannot take legal action down the line.)

And check out all the latest ZUMA "Bat" Gadgets, like new shady-fighting "custom" search engines, and the Glassell Park/Citywide NC corruption stories for tonight's 912 jerk-off session at ZumaTimes.com. donate to ZAP/ZT

IF EMINENT DOMAIN (in a "smart growth"/"high density" gameplan) HAS BECOME ZD'S #1 CONCERN (after last week's new ED ordinance passed by LA City Council) -- then this is the first scenario on deck to illustrate the "whole enchilada" of problems. Here's the appetizer while the rest the details are prepared for blogging.

From: Linda Slocum

Hello! I found you with a google search on eminent domain - found the Mayor Sam site first.

Just wondering if you can help with getting the word out on the eminent domain issues in the Santa Clarita area.

The business owners currently affected are only a small fraction of the overall plan, and since this was dropped on them like a bomb they're scared spitless to speak up for fear that the City will get pissed and reduce the "offers" to "buy" their properties.

A full 78% of businesses and 55% residences in the downtown Newhall area are scheduled for the wrecking ball in this ill-planned redevelopment project. Many of these are lower-income non-English-speaking people, so my guess is that their ability to fight this will be virtually nil. In addition, much of the residential rental housing is set to be demolished and converted into condos instead of rentals, so it's not hard to see that this is a circling of the wagons to change the demographics of the area. Was it a coincidence that there was an INS sweep of the area in late April, netting about 30 detainees?

The new ordinance required by SB53 is set to be "approved" on June 26 WITHOUT public hearing, and provides the City with the means to evict the current property owners prior to reaching an agreement as to the purchase price. Meaning that there could potentially be people out on the street (most likely businesses) without any funds to help move them into new locations. AND without relief from their current mortgages or rental agreements. SCARY!

Anything you can do to help get some press on this would be greatly appreciated!

hero of liberty, Zuma Doggrecommendedi'll one day be writing about this man elsewhere, but here's a quick intro if you haven't heard of him. zuma dogg is about the most imperfect perfect rebel you'll find, with vast reserves of something most "libertarians" (or whatever) lack: balls and soul.

this MFer will get up in the face of pretty much any "authority" figure, and he's intimidated most everyone in the L.A. ruling class — especially the vacant suits haunting city hall. ZD has socialist tendencies which i see hope for him removing on his own. before you watch this video example, you should also know that ZD is as intelligent as the character he plays seems stupid. ZD's genius is in his flow. try to find somebody more competent on his feet, able to jump from one ludicrous front to another, all while slamming home, usually in beautifully rushed 2-minute segments, the essential message of liberty: "you are no better than me with regard to rights."

well, enough intro. here he is. brace yourself (especially if you don't like jiveass white dudes).important to note something so many in liberty circles don't get: ZD crosses lines routinely. he jumps over, waits for the swatting arm to coil for a strike, then hops back with a falsetto goofball version of whatever "fuck you" he can get away with. in this manner zuma dogg is more representative of the actual american revolution than any federalist-paper spouting dickweed who ever came down the pike. british tyrants were zuma dogg'd from this land, not briefcased away. too few supposedly historically minded americans are aware that the energetic liberty movement was composed of vandals and a shouting, intemperate mob, overflowing with intolerance for systematic abuse.

to many "intellectual" liberty advocates, zuma dogg will be purely offensive. that is their deficiency, not his. do you find ingenious, instinctive method in the following clip?i hope so. i hope you understand that more crucial to the preservation of liberty is not utilitarian, tortured argument in defense of obscure, often boring bullshit, but one simple, almost forgotten passion: the spirit of resistance — a pushing back at almost every opportunity. why? because plunderers abound in all times, and always will. as in his gene simmons video, zuma dogg also excels at peeling away some of the insufferable pomp and false elevation inherent in tyrannic systems. advancing liberty, this jive-talking, seemingly stupid, ranting, sometimes rude, but always positive and charismatic man renders many of us pathetic pikers by comparison. some might be surprised that he also writes better than most of us.

rothbard, mises, and hayek were colossal builders of an intellectual framework for protection of the spontaneous order. all of it is for naught without passionate people getting in faces, demonstrating and fostering rebelliousness against the correct targets. do not overlook them, for they have something you and i need to emulate whenever we can do it honestly.

SMOG ALERT: VILLARAIGOSA WANTS TO BRINGS DANGEROUS LEVELS OF IT TO CITY LIMITS (Must Be A Buck To Be Made, You Shady Bastard!)Everyone knows about the traffic problems along the 710 freeway.

Well Mayor Antonio Villariagosa has a plan to help ease traffic congestion of this "Diesel Death Zone" as CM Janice Hahn called it this week. Let's build a connector road, and run the traffic through the residential area, near five schools and lots of homes. THEN, we can build a row of high density housing (with that air quality and traffic, it will probably be "Section 8" Housing) along this new connector road, as well. That way, we can make money from every angle possible. And when everyone is dead from the pollution, we'll be flying in freshly squeezed orange juice onto a private island, like Eli Broad and Richard Riordan. (Remember THAT one?)

You see, Antonio Villaraigoas CARES about Alhambra...and want to help ease their traffic pain. So he wants to construct a four lane connector raod off the 710 that will run through a residential area into El Sereno. (Oh, it's only El Sereno -- F*CK 'EM...I thought it was near Eagle Rock!)

Tony is salavating at the mouth over the road he wants to build on Caltrans property owned by the State, located about a 1/8-1/4 mile from the LA/Alhambra border, on Valley Blvd/710.

The road is going to be proposed to serve Alhambra for Freemont and Valley mitigation. However, Alhambra is against it themselves, as is Pasedena, S. Pasedena and some community groups in L.A. They are in favor of a proposed underground tunnel to be built, that SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments) is behind. AND THAT IS A FEDERAL PROJECT, so Antonio doesn't get his grubby mitts on that peice of the constuction pie. SO FORGET ABOUT THE WISHES OF THE REGION (HEY TONY, AS DAG (Design Advisory Group) which project they favor -- the Federally build "underground tunnel", or you hack connector road, that FIVE schools in the area are against, as are doctors in the area, because the amount of pollution you will be parading through this residential area (that you will use to build Section 8 housing along the new road) is NOT something I hope you would let your OWN kids live near. (I would be forced to call social services on you for neglicgence. But it's O.K. for the kind of people who live in the area you want to build in near.

SO TO RECAP: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to spend $10 million to build a connector road, to help Alhambra, but Alhambra doesn't want it and will file a lawsuit after the EIR report. And remember Tony, ZD would like to remind you, you stated publicly that you would not build this road, unless El Sereno wants it...AND ZD, "Voice of the Pueblos" says THEY DON'T!!! So best back up off they tip, for the simple fact you on it like a gnat on a dogg's d*ck, bitch!

BUILDING AND SAFETY BAMBOOZLE THE PUBLIC OVER SHADY METHANE GAS MITIGATION POLICYIT NEVER F-ING ENDS WITH THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES AND THEIR CONTINUAL ATTEMPT TO STONE WALL THE PUBLIC WHEN IT COMES TO NOTIFICATION AND PUBLIC INPUT ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUSES.

Maybe because EIRs can be the "Achillie's Heel" on many of their hairbrained, ill-concieved, threat-to-public saftey projects that they try and steamroll past the pueblos.

SORRY, BUT...YOU LOSE CARL MILLER ON THIS ONE: SO Y'ALL BETTER STEP UP AND RECTIFY THE SITUATION BEFORE YOU HAVE THE BIGGEST HAZARDOUS AND LEGAL MESS THE CITY HAS EVER SEEN.

It has come to my attention there is reason to be concerned that there is fraud going on regarding the City's Methane Gas Mitigation systems; and Building and Saftey appears to be bamboozling the public regarding the entire three-year process.

Back in 2004, the City created a "Task Force" regarding methane gas mitigation, as a result of Playa Vista development plans. But, the mitigation measures was a CITYWIDE code, so I'm dragging Villagrossa into it, with me and Bill Rosendahl (who is the Playa Vista CM).

So yesterday was the first meeting since the 2004 kickoff (it's mid-2007), and ZD's cell phone rang this morning from a constituent who has been following this process, and they weren't too happy after attending yesterday's public meeting. Here's why:

Bascially, the City had to come up with a methane mitigation code and methane mitigation system. The people (NC, Homeowner's Associationss, public input) were suposed to be part of the entire planning process from the start.

Well, as in many cases regarding Los "Chinatown" Angeles -- Building and Saftey took it upon themselves to come up with the enitre system WITHOUT public input, then finally presented a report to the community last night. (The public was given an opportunity to comment on the plan...on little "tweaks" here and there.)

ONLY ONE PROBLEM, Y'ALL...THE PUBLIC WAS SUPPOSED TO WEIGH IN AND BE A PART OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS...NOT JUST COMMENT ON A BUNCH OF DIVERSIONARY, BULLSH*T -- AFTER THE FACT!!!

SO NOW Y'ALL PISSED OFF THE WRONG PERSON...CAUSE THEY TRACKED DOWN ZD'S CELL PHONE NUMBER, AND TALKED MY EAR OFF ABOUT THE BIGGER ISSUE:

ZD has been told, "there is fraud going on here." Inspector General Zuma Dogg would like to see the PROOF that these "methane mitigation systems" have been implimented. AND I HOPE NOT (even though they are supposed to be installed) -- BECAUSE IG ZD WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME PROOF (FIRST) THAT THESE SYSTEMS ACTUALLY WORK, IN THE FIRST PLACE.

I am told that will be a VERY long wait for THAT proof, cause it doesn't exist. So if proof DOES exist that these mitigation systems work and that the mitigation measures have been put in place -- please email it to zumadogg@Gmail.com. (ZD says proof that they DON'T work will be WAY MORE EASIER TO FIND.)

Now, to get real with it dough, not only is it hard for ZD to find proof that anything has been done at all...someone emailed ZD saying they have proof that things are being done to the CONTRARY!

They have a bunch of un-qualified people who are came up with shallow, cheap, easymeasures with no type of proof any of this will work, who have turned this project into an entire cottage industry.

Building and Safety obviously is trying to DODGE and COVER-UP -- then use the tactic of "non-communication" to stonewall. (It's like sending a message in a bottle into a big black hole.)

WELL F*CK THAT NOISE!!! AND ONCE AGAIN...Y'ALL PISSED OFF THE WRONG ACTIVIST, AFTER TOO LONG A FIGHT...AND NOW THEY CALLED THEIR FRIEND AND TRACKED DOWN BIG ZD'S CELL PHONE AND TALKED MY EAR OFF...AND IT HIT BIG ON THE BAT-RADAR. WAAAAAAY MORE TO COME.

VILLAGROSSA, BUILDING AND SAFETY, BILL ROSENDAHL, LOS AMSETERDAM CITY COUNCIL -- RE-START THE WHOLE PROCESS NOW...SAVE YOURSELF THE TIME AND MONEY OF DOING IT ANYWAY AT THE DEMAND OF A JUDGE -- AND DON'T PUT THE CITY AT RISK. Cause all this does is remind everyone about the Staple's Center. Don't trun this into another HUGE City embarassment...FIX IT NOW! (It's already been put "on the record" at today's council meeting.)

Los Angeles City's NEW Eminent Domain Policy Looks Like They Can Pretty Much Do Whatever The Hell They Want. [It looks like comedy!]LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL VOTES 12:0 ON "EMINENT DOMAIN" PROGRAM

A new State Eminent Domain law went into effect this year, requiring the City to lay out it's ED plans for the future, before you can start claiming. Here's the plan from today's agenda, item 12. A lot of the City ED has expired and the CRA will have to pass some amendment in each of these areas. But here's one area with the most extensive ED plan: [Read my comments in bracks and comment.]

THE PROGRAM TO ACQUIRE REAL PROPERTY BY EMINENT DOMAIN OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

ADELANTE EASTSIDE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Except as specifically exempted in the Redevelopment Plan, the Agency may acquire, but is not required to acquire, any real property located in the Project area by eminent domain or any other means authorized by law.

It is in the public interest and is necessary, in order to eliminate the conditions requiring redevelopment, [in order to gentrify] and in order to execute the Redevelopment Plan, for the power of eminent domain to be employed by the Agency to acquire real property in the Project Area, subject to the limitations set forth in the Redevelopment Plan. The Agency shall make every reasonable effort to acquire real property by negotiation. [Reasonable, like here's a crappy deal. Don't want it? Sorry, taking it anyway.]

Prior to acquiring real property by eminent domain, the Agency shall seek the review and recommendation of the PAC. [Seek the review and recommendation? First of all, PAC doesn't have to deliver a recommendation, the Agency just has to "seek" it. Secondly, if there is a report, who cares? it doesn't say they have to "follow" the recommendation.]

The Agency is authorized to acquire structures without acquiring the land upon which these structures are located. [If they just need some open space, they can take your home, but not pay you for the property.] The Agency is also authorized to acquire any other interest in property less than a fee. [Plus, anything else related. LESS THAN A FEE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN...SOUNDS LIKE "WITHOUT" PAYING.]

Exemptions and Limitations:

The Agency shall not acquire by eminent domain any real property on which any person legally resides and which is legally and exclusively being used for residential purposes. [Get ready for the inspections. Better have at least one legal resident living in homes with illegals, otherwise they can take the home. Also, better not be having those illegals living in your garage -- or too many people living in a home, in general; and if you are renting, it's commercial, y'all!!! These are some of the "read between the lines" I am reading. Any merit?]

The Agency shall not exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire any parcel of real property within the Project Area for which proceedings in eminent domain have not commenced within twelve (12) years after the adoption of the Redevelopment Plan on March 30, 1999, by Ordinance No. 172,514, ending the period within which eminent domain may be used on March 30, 2011. This time limitation may be extended only by amendment of the Redevelopment Plan. [Great. So they'll extend it!?!?! Who's going to stop them?]

The Agency is not authorized by law to acquire real property owned by public bodies which do not consent to such acquisition. Without the consent of an owner, the Agency shall not acquire any real property on which an existing building is to be continued on its present site and in its present form and use unless such building requires structural alteration, improvement, modernization or rehabilitation, or the site or lot on which the building is situated requires modification in size, shape or use, or it is necessary to impose upon such property any of the standards, restrictions and controls of the Redevelopment Plan and the owner fails or refuses to agree to participate in the Redevelopment Plan by executing a participation agreement.

[OK, that's the most scary part!!! Basically looks to ZD, like they are saying, all they have to do is start walking around the neighborhood and start saying, "You need some structural alteration...you need some improvement modernization...you need some rehabilitation...you require some site modification...you can't use it for that anymore...and if you "refuse" (how about can't afford) to agree "particpate" by executing an agreement. [Sounds like that means, "or if you don't agree to go along, we can take it, anyway."]

I DON'T KNOW...MAYBE I'M READING TOO MUCH INTO THINGS, BUT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THE CITY'S "EMINENT DOMAIN" PLAN FOR EAST ADELANTE LOOKS LIKE IT SAYS, "We can trip you up, just about any way we feel like it, and if not, we can just take it anyway."

post an comment here, and it will email it to me, or contact: zumadogg@gmail.com

1 comments:Linda Slocum said..."The Agency shall not acquire by eminent domain any real property on which any person legally resides and which is legally and exclusively being used for residential purposes."

This means that residential rental properties are doomed, and seems to indicate that anyone with a home office may be doomed as well.

Oh, and about those illegals... is that why they had INS sweeps in Downtown Newhall recently, with the timing coinciding to the first eminent domain actions in the area for the supposed "revitalization project"?

Santa Clarita's Newhall plan expires in July 2009, so I'd expect them to be ramping up with these eviction notices between now and then so they don't have to worry about any "amendments" to extend the term of this plan.

"Basically looks to ZD, like they are saying, all they have to do is start walking around the neighborhood and start saying, "You need some structural alteration...you need some improvement modernization...you need some rehabilitation...you require some site modification...you can't use it for that anymore..."

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT - in Santa Clarita, they are sending out Code Enforcement personnel to do exactly what you're saying - find the little stuff on buildings that are set to be demolished anyways, and filing lawsuits against these owners for these supposed violations (some of which seem to be AFTER redevelopment rules rather than current rules). Seems to be rubbing salt in their wounds, since these businesses are going to be forced to cough up their properties via eminent domain anyways. There's conjecture that the City is just trying to reduce the value of these properties before submitting their "offers" to purchase these properties via eminent domain so the buy-out will cost them less.

It's not hard for a City to show the courts that an area is "blighted" and thus declare a building ready for the wrecking ball. In Northern CA, the courts ruled that an area was "blighted" and OK'd eminent domain actions because there were wet leaves on a private tennis court!

The Big Picture Game Plan for Downtown Los Angeles DevelopmentThe Big Picture Game Plan for Downtown Los Angeles DevelopmentHow the City is going to try and buy its’ way to the head of the convention business line/Corner the convention market by any means necessary!

by Zuma DoggZuma's "ZAP" Blog

I guess if you raise enough money, or promise to raise enough money (and can convince the politicians you have a shot at doing so) you can just about build anything in this city, at any cost. (And I mean socially and economically, not the final price tag to developers and un-willing residents who end up paying for it, one way, or the other. (See tax hikes, fees, and skyrocketing property owner costs to help pay for what is ahead in the CRA/LA “Billion Dollar Plus” development club. (I’m not even gonna consider anything going on in this town with less than a billion dollar starting price. And all these projected costs are starting prices, because not only are the pueblos expenses skyrocketing, so are construction costs. And with all the planning, financing and construction delays; by the time you actually get the steamrollers rolling, and the developers start piling the cement 50 stories high anywhere they can get away with it, zoning and EIR restrictions, or not (and you think traffic is bad now), the cost has already jumped by at least a couple hundred million dollars; and the developer usually ends up running to the city for some kind of financial bail-out, claiming the project cannot carry on, otherwise.

This means either tax breaks/subsidies, or flat out money out of the CRA or other fund, that would have gone to something else.

And when you review the business deals these developers cut with the city, you gotta watch for these “sunset clauses”. A typical “small print, sunset clause, bamboozle could include a promise for a certain amount of “affordable housing”. Then put in a sunset clause stating if CRA doesn’t come up with enough “increment money”, then they can cut back on the amount of affordable housing, accordingly.

And of course all the revenue streams the CRA plans on using to raise this money, are new and completely speculative based on things like “expected parking revenues after completion of phase one.” Well, what if those cars don’t start flying into those parking lots as quickly as they expect. And what if phase one gets delayed. Then the CRA can come back and claim, “Well, Gee…we didn’t raise the affordable housing money we promised the developer.” And then all the city gets are the million dollar plus units (and I mean plus) -- but not any of the affordable housing. YOU DON’T THINK THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME? JUST ASK JAN PERRY, MAYBE SHE CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU, SHE’S SO SMART AND LOOKING OUT FOR HER DISTRICT’S BEST INTEREST!

Plus, when it comes to giving developers CRA money to build affordable housing, remember, that money was already earmarked for affordable housing anyway. So, all we are doing is letting the billion dollar developers and their international financial backers profit on the building of the affordable housing, as well as the high-end, five star, luxury stuff!

Sorry, every other local developers in town, and to all their families…No business in town for you! MegaCorp, International (A conglomerate of billionaire developers, their corporate backers and international financial institutions can handle that element, too. (The rich get richer, and everyone else goes out of business and has to leave the state, or take up accommodations somewhere on the sidewalk.) Hey, if Home Depots can put all the local supply companies out of business, why not apply this concept to the entire development process, as well. (Man, I’m starting to think if you want any construction or supply business in this town, you gotta have your kids on council, or pay for the politicians election and buy ‘em into office, so they can pave the way (for you to pave), or something.

So now that we know a little about HOW what is about to get done, is about to get done – let’s review the “master plan” for downtown Los Angeles, Cahootsifornia:

My friend Al Ries (International/Fortune 500 consultant and co-author of “Marketing Warfare” and author of “Focus”) says a product (in this cast the city) must have a narrow, specialized focus that allows the consumer to associate you with a specific benefit. (Be known for something.) Starbucks pulled this off by focusing on “coffee”. Domino’s with “delivery”. (They actually created the whole Domino’s concept from the bottom up. In other words, “OK, we’re gonna be the guys who deliver it in 30 minutes, or less. And built the facilities and zoned the delivery areas accordingly.)

So what is LA known for? (Besides being the open-armed embracer for all who wanna be a part of this fun)…Entertainment.

But, I guess the mere production isn’t good enough anymore. (Cause the city waived all the tax revenues to prevent runaway productions. And, Hollywood can show a loss on “Star Wars”, “Spiderman” or “Pirates” through creative accounting, if they want to. Poor fellas. They can just barely scrape by.)

So instead of gambling, or auto manufacturing, we are focusing on buying our way to the top of the convention city business, focusing on providing “world-class”, “state of the art”, “nice as f*ck” theater and broadcast facilities, so the whole world can fly here for their music award shows, and House of Blues cable broadcasts, and movie screenings and premiers with all the techno-structure to accommodate a TRUE international press corp and broadcasters to beam the even all over the world.

Of course, we are already getting that business anyway. So looks like the Hollywood area, currently attracting these gigs/business are about to become the CD in an iPod world. (Maybe we can house the homeless in all those empty unused venues that are about to become the LA Forum of the Hollywood ET/Access Hollywood world.)

And how do you blow away the rest of the world, and wipe everything else off the map? (At least in the California race for convention business that we consistently lose big to San Fran, San Diego and Orange County. Cause you ain’t never gonna beat Vegas till you get gambling inside that Ritz Carlton, JW Marriott, Hilton and Mandarin Hotels coming to Downtown LA. Skid Row isn’t as good a tourist attraction as Danny Gans, free alcohol and blackjack tables, apparently.)

So let’s take a look at one of the two billion dollar bookend projects the city has online to give LA that steroid injection it needs to become the international tourist and convention magnet it must become; or else we really will become that third world city the critics are warning us about. (And in this global war, the city is gonna have to focus all resources and funding toward this “Hail Mary” attempt if there is any hope of pulling it off.)

So let’s see what one, of these two mixed-use, luxury condo, five star hotel, specialty/boutique shop, fancy restaurant upscale billion dollar wife babysitter projects has in store, with the only the community’s best interest in mind:

[A MASSIVE, PRODIGIOUS, BULWARK OF AN ARTICLE, QUITE FITTING TO ADDRESS THE ALLEDGED SCALE OF THESE PROJECTS. AND SINCE LA TIMES IS HELL BENT ON BEING KNOWN AS THE “INTERNATIONAL NEWS SPECIALISTS”, here’s a little Sunday Times style reading, for yo azz! Except this is on the realest, dough.]

THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPILATION OF INFORMATION ON THIS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES REVITAILIZATION FANTASY PROJECT (ONE OF MANY PROMISED “CORNERSTONES”) THAT WILL MAKE THE DOWNTOWN SKYLINE LOOK GOOD FOR PEOPLE FLYING IN FROM OVERSEAS, BUT WON’T DO MUCH FOR THE RESIDENTS OF LOS ANGELES EXCEPT SUCK THE SOUL AND MONEY OUT OF THE CITY

Vegas, looks good: But at what expense. The place is like a Hollywood set. Everything looks good from the front, as you are walking down the strip. But the machine that built that shiny new skyline (and keeps it ticking) seems to have robbed the soul out of the community (average paying casino jobs with impossible hours) and turned Veags into the meth capital of the universe.

You got the crack heads walking the streets of the communities behind the casinos, as the wealthy international jet set crowd buys up all the luxury skyscrapers that gentrified the community.

LA doesn’t have gambling, but they still need a shiny new skyline for all the international billionaires to devour, or else we’ll sink even further as we continue to sit fifth on the totem pole behind lesser cities; San Fran, San Diego, Orange County and Vegas when it comes to the convention booking business.

If you look at the online brochures for these mulit-billion dollar CRA development projects, they all look just fantastic. Looks like a lot of fun time for tourists on a Saturday night. Only problem, these projects will rob the soul out of the community by sucking every available city cent, out of every nook and cranny of the city funds – and will wipe away all the locally owned and operated businesses in the area. (Like a giant Home Depot of restaurants, shops and entertainment.) No more local flare. No more of that "diverse culture" that city's like LA brag about. Just pre-fabricated, planned mixed-use mega-center tourist attractions. (And we all know how tired tourist-based living gets.)

The little everyday amenities that are available, will fold, and you will be forced to not only commute for work, but for grocery shopping and everything else. (Except high end boutique specialty items, or a five star tea part at the Ritz Carlton.)

If the billionaire developers and their mega-international banking partners realize their dreams and fantasies, Downtown Los Angeles is about to try and “buy” its’ way into the international convention business, attempting to wipe everything else off the map. It hasn’t worked before. But this time, I think they will continue to throw enough money at the problem to at least get the stuff built. [At what expense to investors and the community remains to be seen. But it will look great, and be a fantastic addition to all the investor's corporate portfolio.]

Stuff like the Ritz-Carlton Condos, fancy restaurants, special event theaters, upscale shops. Everything a CEOs wife could want to keep her busy while her billionaire hubby gives a keynote at the convention. All the employees/attendees…well I guess they can sleep down the street with everyone else on Skid Row who can’t afford the five star convention accommodations.

Bottom line: The fix is in, and a few people, with the most money have spoken. They can say the number one priority is to fix the schools, reduce crime, manage traffic congestion, build more affordable housing, clean up skid row and create more high paying jobs…but that’s all bullsh*t.

The number one priority of the City of Los Angeles, as revealed by Villaraigosa and the despicable Jan Perry is to turn downtown LA into an upscale convention region, flanked by two competing luxury hotel, condo, restaurant, shopping, entertainment and theater projects; Grand Ave and LA Live, to create the Vegas like atmosphere to help pull in some business for that big white elephant convention center sitting near the Staples Center (that was supposed to solve the problem).

And remeber, Janice Hahn also wants to build another convention center near LAX. So I sure hope businesses start having A LOT MORE conventions, instead of less, as travel and convention costs continue to rise, and electronic communication make them easier to cut back on.) Because now all these billions and billions being invested into a Downtown convention area will have to compete with a more convenient and more economically feasible Janice Hahn LAX Convention Center.

And LA is banking on all these downtown tourists and conventions to have huge convention budgets. Because everything is five star, therefore you will be booking your employees at the Ritz, JW Marriott or Mandarin Hotel. (Or one of the other cheap ass hotels like Bonaventure or Westin.) Not building any affordable hotels, like they aren’t building any affordable housing, so they have just priced themselves out of the convention business.

Here’s more on LA LIVE, the answer to all your problems, with a starting price of over $2 billion. [ZD legislative review in brackets.]

LA LIVE: In September, 2005, the Mayor attended the ground breaking ceremony for Phase 1, scheduled for completion in 2007. [Oh good, I see we’re right on track! Look at the delays, and they haven’t even started.]

L.A. LIVE will also be the region's most in-demand and busiest hospitality location [Oh! I guess the facts and statistics are in!?!?], featuring 260,480 square feet of conference center and ballroom facilities [good we should put the homeless there, since it will sit empty most of the time]; eight world-class restaurants [GOOD, cause we’re turning into a third-world country], including the ESPN Zone [Oh, I almost thought it said EDUCation Zone], Flemings Prime Steakhouse [no transfats please, that would be bad for the City] and Wine Bar, Katsuya, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Yard House, Rosa Mexicana and dining concepts developed by Wolfgang Puck [actual diversity, if you can afford Wolfgang], Celestino Drago and others [things no one said they wanted or needed];

a 100,000-square-foot special events deck [for your shady special event fee waivers]; the famous Lucky Strike Lanes bowling center [I think bowling alleys downtown named after cigarettes are gonna get the mayor re-elected]; the celebrity-owned Conga Room [I was against it until I heard it was “celebrity owned”…I’m sure they’ll feed homeless children that won’t have affordable housing now]; and the one-of-a-kind Grammy Museum saluting the history of music and the genre's best known awards show. [And we all know there is nothing more needed in this city right now than a museum paying tribute to awards shows. Meanwhile, how about finishing the Children’s Museum, first?]

All of the aforementioned facilities will be centered around NOKIA Plaza LA Live, a 40,000-square-foot outdoor event space. [Maybe Zev can put all the skid row homeless there, instead of those mountain campgrounds the NIMBYS are fighting. HEY…I bet Kaiser could get away with illegal dumping there, cause it’s private space!]

(Los Angeles) – Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today joined Tim J. Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG as he announced AEG and KB Home will partner to finance the development of the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel, the linchpin LA Live! downtown project. The Mayor strongly supports the partnership which will accelerate building the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel.

“This partnership will ensure [at least promises, if not delivers] that LA Live and the hotel not only come to fruition [or at least fantasy] but will make Los Angeles the entertainment capital of the West Coast,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. [Is that all it takes? One hotel!]

“Furthermore, [don’t say ‘furthermore’ you haven’t really said anything yet] the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel is absolutely necessary if Los Angeles wants to have a convention center that is able to compete with other convention centers in the region.” [If the nation’s second biggest City isn’t even competitive with the region…save your time and money, now. This isn’t the answer. (No casinos!) Everyone visits and moves to LA because they like LA: So you want to completely change into being just like everywhere else. ZONE AWAY, A-HOLES!]

The AEG and KB Home partnership will ensure [at least hope] that the four-star hotel will become a reality for downtown Los Angeles. [But that reality may not include enough demand or occupancy.]

LA Live! A multi-use development, is critical to the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles [developers’ bank accounts] and fulfills the Mayor’s vision to make downtown one of the most recognized and attractive areas not only in the City but in the country as well. [Designed in his own image! And by the way, this doesn’t fulfill it. That happens when it is completed and operational.]

When [If] completed, it will serve to attract more than 10 million visitors [How? I don’t see] which in turn will infuse $9 billion into the economy and create more than 25,000 jobs. [That’ll be the day that Jesus walks into the CRA office to apply for some of the mandatory affordable housing that those sunset clauses have a way of setting on.]

The project covers six city blocks in the South Park neighborhood and will be the signature of the neighborhood. Restaurants, nightclubs, sports bars, [instead of the types of amenities people will still have to go to Silverlake or Pasedena to get] high density housing, [yeah, The Ritz Carlton Condo; that’s what they are calling “housing’] a 7,100 seat state-of-the art theater, radio and television broadcast facilities [glad we are building those. Maybe they can build some practical housing and needed community amenities]; offices and the Convention Headquarters Hotel are all components of this new entertainment district. [And “entertaining” is the big crisis the city is facing! I heard Bratton say just the other day, “We can’t entertain our way out of this.” I tend to disagree. And I happen to know from inside sources, entertaining are also big issues at LAUSD and all the social services. And the middle class being pushed out of town in the other parts of town...they demand more entertaining, too!]

The hotel [Ritz Carlton and Five Star Marriott, nothing most tourists or business conventions will be able to afford] will have 1,100 rooms as well as meeting, ballroom and amenity space of approximately 185,000 square feet. [To go along with all the convention space, already not being used, because it's too expensive to get downtown from the airport -- and too much traffic -- and, well...skid-you-know-what' in addition to the new convention center Janice Hahn wants to build near the airport. I hope people that go to conventions start having a lot of babies!]

Mayor Villaraigosa broke ground on LA Live! on September 15, 2005

The Convention Center Headquarters Hotel will feature spectacular rooms that will provide views to the Westside and downtown skyline. [Overlooking all the problems these projects not only won’t solve, but add to.]

AEG is developing a downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment destination, a 4-million square foot development adjoining The STAPLES Center and The Los Angeles Convention Center. [And you are telling us, instead of trying to keep it secret? Remember what happened last time you used the words, "AEG" and "STAPLES Center" regarding development? The Valley still haven't cooled down from that. And this will remind them again!]

The multi-faceted entertainment destination will feature an exciting mix of entertainment venues, restaurants, retail commercial and residential spaces, television and radio broadcast studios and concert spaces. [Can families who parents have to work downtown, but can't find housing within eighty miles crash in the radio studios when they aren't being used? Or maybe Clear Channel can build some affordable housing in the area?]

Highlights of the district will include a 40,000-square foot outdoor plaza, a ESPN broadcast and restaurant facility, Regal Theatres and Club NOKIA at L.A. Live. [And not ONE thing of public benefit.]

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live will be a premier mid-sized music/theatre venue featuring state-of-the-art acoustics and seating for 7,000. [Sounds perfect for a James Taylor perfomance at a David Geffen benefit. Or some other wine and cheese event.]

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live will look to host the Latin GRAMMY® Awards and ESPY Awards, as well as numerous other productions from VH1, MTV, and BET. [In that case, they are only taking business from other nearby venues? So how does that help revitalize? Sounds like it will only cannibalize? Hey, Garcetti...make them cut you in as Council President, since it will be tanking your own districts' investment.]

It is also available for corporate shareholder meetings, product launches, and seminars. [Good the shareholders can discuss how the project they are having the meeting in is weakening the local economy and their revenues will be going down, unless they are targeting the poor, or rich international tourists.]

Club NOKIA at L.A. Live

In an effort to bring the best in live music and entertainment to Los Angeles, NOKIA and AEG are joining forces to create Los Angeles' most renowned club for live music and cultural events. [Why is the city making this much of an effort to entertain? Why not this much effort to educate?]

The stand-alone club, which will accommodate up to 2,400 patrons, will feature up and coming music acts, bands, and cultural shows.

The club may also be used to host private parties and corporate events.[Sounds like this whole project is the “home depot” of regional entertainment. It’ll put everyone else out of business, then you’ll only have one big, sanitized “Promonade/Citywalk-style” tourist infused entertainment scene. And we all know that gets tired after about one month.]

NOKIA Plaza (Welcome to Nokiatown, CA)

Situated in the heart of the nation's entertainment capital, NOKIA Plaza provides a 40,000-square foot open-air plaza that will serve as the central meeting place for Los Angeles' Sports and Entertainment District. [And there’s no more important goal the City should be focused on, toward the goal of uplifting the community, and society at large as Sports and Entertainment. I think the City should be doing MORE in this area, instead of leaving it to the private sector/No CRA involvement.]

The Plaza will serve as one of the district's key anchors, providing a broadcast venue featuring giant LED screens as well as a red carpet site for special events. [IF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES WERE A RESTAURANT, IT WOULD SERVE NOTHING BUT DESSERT!]

The NOKIA Theatre venues are part of the "NOKIA Unwired" marketing platform, which brings live music to fans in both the NOKIA Theater venues and on TV through "NOKIA Presents Hard Rock Live" on MTV. [How about something that brings education to students of LAUSD, not the crap they play on MTV! And F*CK NOKIA! I'm already sick to my stomach from seeing the word, "Nokia". Why don't you just put up a big billboard at LAX: "Welcome to Latham/AEG/Broad's Las Nokia-Disney/Universal, California!"]

Hotel and Condominiums

A 54-story, 1000-room convention "headquarters" hotel that will combine the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton brands and 216 luxury condominiums - The Residences at The Ritz Carlton [How about building something people planning conventions can afford. I thought you wanted convention business? Five star hotels are for rich individuals. Maybe the CEOs will stay there. How about everyone else? Gotta build those, too, renaissance planners!]

The project, considered the largest development in Los Angeles' history, will be host to an exciting mix of venues and facilities. [At the same time all the middle-income folks are fleeing the area, to be replaced by new low income immigrants. Plus wealthy international immigrant land investors/speculators/developers.]

"On behalf of AEG and all of our partners, we are here today to break ground for the largest and most important development in the history of Downtown Los Angeles [if you say so, although Eli Broad would beg to differ, I’m sure] , LA Live," said Timothy J. Leiweke, President & CEO, AEG. "This project is real, this project is happening and this project is important. LA Live will give Los Angeles the ability to attract the best and most important events for our city." [Keep trying to convince yourself. Call Stuart Smalley, maybe he can read you an affirmation, himself.]

"Most importantly, our company's investment of nearly $1 billion coupled with an additional $3.5 billion commitment from the other private investors in LA Live and the surrounding downtown residential district has brought this city a fully privatized, fully financed and fully entitled development. A $4.2 billion development that does not require any public subsidy" Leiweke added. [Are you willing to put that in writing?]

Gladstone's 4 Fish, Junior's Deli Boys, Il Moro, Katsuya, and New Zealand Natural will provide a variety of established dining opportunities for LA Live visitors. Agreements with P.F. Chang's and French 75 are in the final stages of negotiations. [Besides the few times a year J Lo or Santana shows up at The Conga Room for all the VIPs to attend, anything your average city resident can take their family to without taking out another mortgage?]

Upper floors will house luxury suites to accommodate visiting sports teams, headline performers, and upscale guests. The hotel will also include up to 111 fully serviced luxury condominium units on the top floors offering 24-hour valet and concierge staff, food and room services, and other amenities. The 1.1 million sq. ft. hotel will be developed by Wolff-Apollo and designed by Gensler. [Looks like they’ve solved the NBA housing crisis! And now Elton John has a new place to rave about next time he’s in town! And I’m sure the rest of the voting public couldn’t be happier about that!]

The hotel is expected to significantly boost efforts to attract key conferences, exhibitions, conventions and corporate meetings to the convention center, strengthening the entire Los Angeles region's tourism and new business opportunities. [You expected everyone to move into all those lofts and businesses everyone is already moving out of, cause you haven’t put this much effort into the actual solutions, that don’t included luxury accommodations for Shaq when he flies into town to beat the Lakers.] City general funds will not be used to finance the hotel's development. [I HOPE NOT!!! Thanks for bragging about not using City money to build a Paris Hilton Hotel. City funds will not be used to build any affordable housing. Why don’t you mention that, too!]

At the groundbreaking, Leiweke announced several new, major l.a. live business partners: [Lots of business partners, not too many community and social improvement partners.]

ESPN will create a regional headquarters and sports entertainment venue in a unique 120,000 sq. ft. broadcast studio that will be the home for a number of live and taped programs. Included in this building will be the ESPN Zone - a multi-level restaurant, sports bar, and game area. An approximately 10,000 sq. ft. radio broadcast center is also planned for live radio in an adjacent building.

Regal Entertainment Group will develop a 90,000 sq. ft. cinema complex with 3,700 seats and featuring digital sound, stadium seating, and state-of-the-art projection systems. This flagship theater will serve as a new venue for movie premieres and special screenings. [So long Hollywood, moving the “premier and screenings” over here. Again, this won’t generate more business to the area. Just move it away from other areas. But I’m glad Leo Decaprio’s quality of life is about to improve. I can think of no better use of this prime real estate than for occasional “premiers and specials”. Can LAUSD use the space to teach kids in between those important special occasions?]

The GRAMMY® Museum will be housed in a 28,000 sq. ft. space designed for a permanent display of music genres and the science of recorded music as well as new interactive presentations recognizing past and president GRAMMY® winning artists. [How about an actual cultural arts center where kids actually learn how to play an instrument, not just look at statues of Beyonce’.]

"Sports and entertainment often converge in the diverse city of Los Angeles and establishing a major presence there is a very positive step in the long-term growth of our company," [but not the long-term growth of our kids or community] said George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks. [I don’t know who has their hooks in deeper in this town, Disney or Universal? Mickey Mouse is actually the real mayor of LA] “Originating more programming and extending our brand with an ESPN Zone will create a stronger ESPN. [TOP, TOP, TIPPY TOP City priority and philanthropic benefit to the community!] Given the success of our past collaborations with AEG [and how the valley wanted to secede from LA] and the scope and promise of LA Live, we are eager to expand our L.A.-based operations." [And I’m glad the city can help facilitate your eagerness for expansion!]

"Diversity is the lifeblood of our vibrant city. The Conga Room is proud to partner with LA Live to showcase its unique brand of Latin American culture and music," said Jimmy Smits, co-owner, The Conga Room. [Yeah, a Latin American bar, real diverse. Not enough Latino culture. That’s the diversity missing in this town! And by being a specific culture, it’s not diverse, idiots! Call it what it is…Jimmy Smits is a famous actor: Let him open the bar. And to all the bar owners about to go out of business. Go into acting.]

"Hilton is pleased that we have been selected to manage this new hotel, particularly since it is located in our corporate back yard. [Glad we could make life easier for you!]

"Great cities attract great conventions and visitors. [Yeah, that’s why we’ve losing out] This Hilton hotel and LA Live will establish Downtown Los Angeles as a world class destination. [I thought the Omni/Bonaventure/Westin/Staples/Convention Center/Etc was supposed to do that? I say you do that through building a great “real” city.] Our team is absolutely committed to bringing this hotel to life and transforming Los Angeles into one of the most attractive destinations for conventions in the nation, [that’s the same kind of optimistic speech the Captain of the Titanic said about the Titanic just before it sank]" said Lew Wolff, Chairman and CEO, Wolff Urban Management, which is co-developing the Los Angeles Convention Center Headquarters Hotel.

• Numerous high-end fine dining, casual and ethnic restaurants as well as nightclubs, coffee shops, and bistros which will provide a rich mixture of high quality food and settings, providing visitors with a true "Taste of L.A.;" [Is that the taste of LA? I guess Canter’s, Pinks, Roscoes, Baja Fresh, Big Daddy’s Venice, all the city’s authentic Mexican restaurants…you’re not high-end and fine…you’re not true. You think a billionaire developers wife wants to eat at any place the rest of the world can afford?]

• 4,000 residential apartments and loft condominiums within three blocks of the sports and entertainment district are under construction or in the planning stages. [How close is it to grocery stores, repair shops, cleaners, schools, gyms, after school programs, social services, neighborhood council meetings?]"Today Los Angeles is reaffirming its position as the entertainment capital of the world. LA Live will bring a vibrant sports and entertainment district to Downtown Los Angeles with exciting new places for families to dine and watch a movie, concert or game. [But nothing to do, and no where to feed your kids on a budget.] The entire City of Los Angeles will benefit from the thousands of jobs it will create and billions of dollars it will pump into our local economy," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ["Entire city will benefit?" OK Mayor, now I’m gonna sue your ass for fraudulent claims.]

"The LA Live sports and entertainment district is a boom for our local economy and the world-class facility will continue downtown's unprecedented revitalization efforts," said State Senator Gil Cedillo, who represents the area where the project will be developed. [So that’s how you know this is a bad deal.]

LA LIVE restaurants, theaters, landscaped courtyard, and media headquarters are certain to continue our efforts to reinvigorate our city center and make it an even more attractive destination for tourists and local families alike. Additionally, the project brings a wealth of quality job opportunities and profound economic development to the South Park neighborhood, surrounding areas, and the city as a whole," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents the 9th Council District where the project will be located. [Quality job opportunities, like construction worker or waiter once it is open. Notice how Jan's paragraph was the most pompous, grand, politi-speak in this whole massive post? Take your nose out of the air Jan, you have nothing to be arrogant about?]

"There is no more defining influence on the future of Downtown L.A. than the LA Llive development by AEG," said Mark Liberman, president & CEO of LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It presents LA with the promise of a wholly new and exciting visitor destination in the center of the second largest city in the country. Our industry is eager to work closely with AEG, its partners and the City to make the vision presented today a reality. There's no hiding the fact that what we've seen today can be a convention sales organization's dream come true." [What about the constituents’ of Los Angeles’ dreams come true? I guess one man’s dream, is the rest of our nightmare.]

MACFARLANE: While San Francisco-based MacFarlane invests money for the California Public Employees' Retirement System and other big clients. [In speculative, partially planned billion dollar city projects, that assumes enough risk to trigger all the warning flags to investors. Mainly, cost over-runs and inefficiency that will plague profitability. Either that, or they will have to come running to the city for a bail-out.]

"Downtown has been the redheaded stepchild with braces compared to the Westside," Wise said. [And I think now is the perfect time for the city to attempt to have Downtown swim upstream, against public will.]

"This is really a quantum leap forward in terms of credibility about downtown's revitalization," he added. [The “quantum leap” is the announcement with is only a leap “forward” in terms of credibility…it doesn’t restore it.]

Owners of downtown's Bonaventure Hotel tried to stop AEG's hotel plans in court, arguing that AEG will have an unfair competitive advantage because it will receive financial assistance from the city. The suit was later dropped. [Not because it isn’t unfair. But because they City gave in to Bonaventure “tick for tack” demands.]

The deal approved by the City Council calls for AEG to receive a rebate of at least $246 million in the hotel bed taxes it is expected to generate during the first 25 years of operation. In addition, the project is being given a $5-million grant from the city redevelopment agency and a rebate of $4 million in building permit fees.

Those concessions from the city were essential to getting the hotel started, Leiweke said. [I thought the big deal about this was it was completely funded by private money and how it is so successful that they don’t need any help?]

San Francisco-based MacFarlane, which invests in urban real estate developments, will provide as much as $400 million in financing, said Chief Executive Victor MacFarlane. The company also may invest in the $2-billion Grand Avenue retail, residential and office project set to begin construction north of Staples on Bunker Hill later this year. [And Antonio may run for re-election.]

"We'll probably invest in the two largest bookends downtown," he said. [And two riskiest, bookends, waiting to become a price over-run nightmare as construction costs soar, and delays allow prices to continue to skyrocket. And these increases are not factored in. So, all of these figures are just minimum starting prices, like an opening bid on ebay.]

Also helping fund construction of the hotel are the expected sales of the condominiums, which are priced at $1.5 million to $6 million. [Oh no, all those shabby, affordable $1.5 units will bring down the value of the $6 million dollar units. Can’t we raise the prices on the lower priced units to help keep property values up. I mean, really!]

Buyers have already made deposits on nearly half of the units, Leiweke said. [Where are these people coming from? Must be flying them in from somewhere else?]

"He has made a huge investment in this community in infrastructure, in entertainment and in sports, and those three drive our economy," said L.A. developer Steve Soboroff, a former adviser to ex-Mayor Richard Riordan, who worked with Anschutz on the Staples Center and other projects. [Sports and entertainment drive our economy? That’s a problem then, if you ask me? No wonder our community is in trouble if that’s what drives it. You forgot to throw in junk food and porno.]

Hotel tax rebates fuel anger:

The 54-story hotel will put the city's downtown convention center in the running for business that now goes elsewhere, said Jack Kyser, chief economist at the development corporation.

But the up-to-$290 million in hotel tax rebates that the Los Angeles City Council approved for the property last year drew the ire of many Angelenos.

CM Jan Perry: There is a perception of enthusiasm for this market. [That’s quite a bit of of land dedication (including public) and money (including public and pension) going toward a mere “perception of enthusiasm”. (Sounds like a Larry David spin-off show.)]

Jan Perry: It should be a catalytic project for activating the surrounding streets [you mean congest them with gridlock traffic (see Century City), improving and enhancing the appeal of the convention center worldwide. It should increase our convention business enormously. It’s a critical project that we must get built. [I didn’t “Convention Business” showed up as any of the solutions in all those Ad Hoc Reports on crime, homelessness, traffic and other citywide problems we are trying to solve through prudent city planning. All of these billion dollar projects, built under the guise of “improving and enhancing” (instead of actually solving) …

Q: Jan, your council office has been incredibly successful in advancing the renaissance of downtown, but what have you not been as able to do re development?

CM Perry (YUK!): The biggest loss has been our inability to develop long-term and permanent housing for people who are homeless. For example, tying together the high level of development activity on the Figueroa corridor, using that tax increment within the boundaries of the area to create a lot of new construction. I’m not talking about transitional hosing. I’m talking about long-term housing to give people some stability in their lives. [Yeah, and I don’t see how any of this addresses any of that?]

Q: Two last questions. What is reasonable time-line for building out L.A. Live?

CM YUK: Well, I think you can use the first Staples Center project as a benchmark for how long it takes AEG to do construction. I believe that project was done in two years or less. [Yeah, Jan, but that was just one building, although a big one. This is like the Universal City Walk, plus housing and hotels? Why are you using apples for an oranges timeline? And that was then…skyrocketing cost will continue to cause these projects to become expensive bridges, burning behind you. Hope it doesn’t catch you, and shut down the projects. After all, look at the Los Angeles Children’s Museum. Couldn’t even get that done without City Council having to approve an emergency “loan”.]

Q: In the next mayoral campaign, what should the candidates be addressing?

YUK: Economic development—bringing projects online that will create a larger market for jobs at all levels and making sure we keep pace with this emerging market for housing. We also must look at the city’s infrastructure, what needs to be done and how to pay for it. [I agree, we should do that, no these (Grand/Live).]City requirements dictate that AEG include a 20% affordable housing component in the project. To meet that, AEG has given $8 million to the YWCA [How will the other religions feel about giving the money to another religious organization. After all, it is a “Christian” Association] to develop a new campus for their Job Corps facilities and 200 two-bedroom apartments for very low-income program participants. The seven-story, $43 million structure will rise on the block bounded by 12th, Pico, Figueroa and Flower. An additional $2 million CRA grant helped acquire the land. [City money for private project, y’all!?!? I wanna sit on there whenever I want!]

RE: GRAND In April, 2006, the Mayor unveiled Phase 1 of this $2 billion project, which began construction in 2006 and ends in 2010.

Contact: ZumaDogg@gmail.comTHE STORY OF ACADEMIA SEMILLAS DEL PUEBLO: INTRODUCTIONMany of you have heard about the LAUSD Charter school "Academia Semilla Del Pueblo".

Previously, the school has been surrounded in controversy over it's separatist cultural agenda, and it's low API test scores. The math scores are the lowest in the State. So until now, the story about Semilla has been whether the school should have it's Charter re-newed by LAUSD, or not.

Well as of March '07, it was first denied -- then after a promise that the school promised (with sugar on top) that they would raise test scores, they were given approval for not only another five years of LAUSD "gravy train" money; but will be allowed to accept 600 students (up from an initial approval of 200, for which they got $2,000,000).

So with 600 students, not only can they rake in a lot more LAUSD AND State Education money (cause they are paid per head), now the school has to look for a bigger building; which also means they will probably need more rent money from LAUSD and the State.

I heard the school is already looking for a new location, to build a big, new school -- somewhere on the Eastside. Exact location is still trying to be negotiated. Rumor had it that they had $13 million to work with, but they are having a tough time striking a deal. Word is, they tried to get some Park space in Rose Hill, El Sereno (and possibly elsewhere), but nothing has panned out as of yet.

[GREAT...so let's give them more money, for more kids, when they can't even get 200 right?!?! What if in five years the scores are still the same? Do they give the money back? Do the kids have to repeat the grades?]

Semilla does not own the school, itself: They rent it from a separate company called TZICATL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: In Care of Name MARCOS AGUILAR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90032-1942. They are listed as an IRS Subsection 501(c)(3) - A religious, educational, charitable, scientific or literary organization.Classification Community, Neighborhood Development, Improvement (General).

In June 2002, TZICATL CDC acquired a blighted commercial structure to be rehabilitiated and utilized as the site for a non-profit charter school.

The real estate tax was $193 and zero cents. The land cost $503,152; the building cost $300,000; and the loan fee was $5,000; for a total of 811,152.

And oh yeah...RAZA DEVELOPMENT FUND, INC. provided $808,000 (7% interest rate) on 06/06/02 (maturity date: 06/05/07), with repayment terms of $25,000/yr for '02-'03; $30,000/yr for '04-'07. It was secured by a first deed of trust on a home on Huntington Drive to purchase and renovate the building.

To facilitate the purchase of TZICATL's first development, Boardmember Erica Friedman advanced $25,000 toward an open escrow in June 2002, that was repaid in October 2002.

When the IRS asked RAZA, INC., "Is the organization related through common membership, governing bodies, trustees, officers, etc to any other non-exempt organization; the answer is "Yes, National Council of La Raza (exempt)".

RAZA claims exemption BECAUSE they support NC of La Raza -- and RAZA put up $808,000 for the building, that was renovated and used for the school.

RAZA Development Corp. borrowed $185,000 on the property on Aguilar's Huntington Dr. South last year.

The property was purchased in 2001 for $800,000. It was an ALL CASH purchase from a William Vasquez. Mr. Vasquez only owned this property for 6 MONTHS, AND HE ONLY PAID $250,000 for it!!!

Vasquez made a tidy profit of $550,000 IN A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS.CLICK READ MORE FOR A WHOLE LOT MORE...COST PER STUDENT: There sure seems like a whole lot of money being spent for 200 kids.

HEY LAUSD: Was Marcos taking a salary as Board Member AND Principal? I don't see the salary as principal? It doesn't show up on my batcomputer if he took under $50,000 as principal. (Which would be shady, cause the teachers make more.)

Here are some issues:

Bet no one on the board complains about the principal...you have a board member, who is also the principal, who also owns the building (that was basically donated to him by Raza). The building sure did skyrocket in value in one-year's time. (They must have an AWESOME real estate appraiser!)

LAUSD provides money to pay the rent for the school, and the school pays itself, since it owns the building, and Marcos gets to set the amount of annual rent he pays himself. (Nice!)

National Council of La Raza Charter School Development InitiativeRaza Development Fund, Inc.Glendale Nissan/Infinity, Inc.California State University, Los AngelesPasadena City College - MeCHAThe Latino Museum of History, Art and Culture

So you have Marcos Aguilar who is principal, board member (along with his wife) AND owns the separate company that builds and owns the school, so Marcos gets to decide how much rent money he's gonna charge himself, then pay himself with LAUSD and State money. (Niiiiiiiice!) And when you run a Charter school, if your test scores are not high enough you can lose the right to use the land your school sits on. Well, luckily, Semilla doesn't own the school or the land, so they can't lose lose it. (Even though the principal/board member actually owns it.)

But let's just say for arguments sake, you want to yank your kid out of LAUSD and pop him/her into a Charter school, that is supposed to produce higher levels of student achievement: But you hear Semilla has rock bottom test scores. So you figure, "Gee, I'll complain to the school board and have him replaced." Except he and his wife and cronies ARE the school board. So forget that!

You gotta go one level higher now, and talk to the landlord, and tell them to kick this under-performing school out of the building, and replace it with a more responsible Charter operator.

SLIGHT PROBLEM: Remember, Aguilar and his wife/compainion (not sure if they are legally married) ARE the landlord/building/land owners. (So you're not gonna have much luck there, either.)

It's called a conflict of interest, and could very well be in violation of LAUSD/State Charter rules.

And now, they have been approved for another five years. But this is bascially the "preface" of the story, because it is a deep one and a wide one. I am told there are a lot of familiar names associated with the Semilla/Tzicatl posse.

Some have warned ZD that there is a lot of shady impropriaties involved with the back and forth selling of the building; the escrow appraisals (big jumps in value), there was a whole lot of improvement money spent on the school -- what are the improvements; they are looking for land to build a big, new school, but no one has reported that they are looking for a new school.

Of course not, they want to get all the state and city construction budget and build it themselves. [Can't argue with that? Who WOULDN'T want to? I want to!]

And I am told, by the time the entire story unravels (which it is pretty close to doing), a few local and state politicians may be working on the construction site themselves, cause they'll be out of elected life. (But as of now, I'm still waiting to see the paperwork.)

However, you may have heard that Doug McIntyre of 790-KABC sent reporter Sandy Wells to the school to investigate the school. Well there must have been something they didn't want him to find out -- or maybe he DID find out...because, FIRST someone tried to run him over with a car (which means he was willing to risk killing him, cause Wells had to jump out of the way); then his audio was stolen.

And that's when some folks figured this story was about more than counting on a system of twenty, learning languages like Mandarin, and a whole lot of Azteck singing and dancing. (More than a mere culture clash.) So that's when Semilla was looked into a little bit further, and all this stuff about the building, who supports/donates to them, associations with local/state politicians, and the whole enchilada fell into ZD's lap.

So this is a good stopping point, for the starting point. Just a little appetizer to familiarize everyone with the school besides the cultural aspect. And I would like to add, whether I agree with the culture or philosophy of the school isn't an issue I was covering until now. This is important because Villaraigosa has control of LAUSD school board, at the same time Eli Broad is funding a Charter School movement in Los Angeles. So that's a lot of City and State Education money that will be given out over the next several years. And although I support the concept of Charter schools to help raise student achievement...there are some serious concerns over fraud, waste and abuse of the funds.

Cool Website that compares Semilla with other schools in the area and district.

MORE TO COME...VILLARAIGOSA UPDATE: AEG "LA LIVE" PROJECT: The Mayor's Attempt To Save Los Angeles with Five Star International Convention CenterThe Big Picture Game Plan for Downtown Los Angeles DevelopmentHow the city is going to try and buy its’ way to the head of the convention business line/Corner the convention market by any means necessary!

by Zuma DoggZuma's Blog

I guess if you raise enough money, or promise to raise enough money (and can convince the politicians you have a shot at doing so) you can just about build anything in this city, at any cost. (And I mean socially and economically, not the final price tag to developers and un-willing residents who end up paying for it, one way, or the other. (See tax hikes, fees, and skyrocketing property owner costs to help pay for what is ahead in the CRA/LA “Billion Dollar Plus” development club. (I’m not even gonna consider anything going on in this town with less than a billion dollar starting price. And all these projected costs are starting prices, because not only are the pueblos expenses skyrocketing, so are construction costs. And with all the planning, financing and construction delays; by the time you actually get the steamrollers rolling, and the developers start piling the cement 50 stories high anywhere they can get away with it, zoning and EIR restrictions, or not (and you think traffic is bad now), the cost has already jumped by at least a couple hundred million dollars; and the developer usually ends up running to the city for some kind of financial bail-out, claiming the project cannot carry on, otherwise.

This means either tax breaks/subsidies, or flat out money out of the CRA or other fund, that would have gone to something else.

And when you review the business deals these developers cut with the city, you gotta watch for these “sunset clauses”. A typical “small print, sunset clause, bamboozle could include a promise for a certain amount of “affordable housing”. Then put in a sunset clause stating if CRA doesn’t come up with enough “increment money”, then they can cut back on the amount of affordable housing, accordingly.

And of course all the revenue streams the CRA plans on using to raise this money, are new and completely speculative based on things like “expected parking revenues after completion of phase one.” Well, what if those cars don’t start flying into those parking lots as quickly as they expect. And what if phase one gets delayed. Then the CRA can come back and claim, “Well, Gee…we didn’t raise the affordable housing money we promised the developer.” And then all the city gets are the million dollar plus units (and I mean plus) -- but not any of the affordable housing. YOU DON’T THINK THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME? JUST ASK JAN PERRY, MAYBE SHE CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU, SHE’S SO SMART AND LOOKING OUT FOR HER DISTRICT’S BEST INTEREST!

Plus, when it comes to giving developers CRA money to build affordable housing, remember, that money was already earmarked for affordable housing anyway. So, all we are doing is letting the billion dollar developers and their international financial backers profit on the building of the affordable housing, as well as the high-end, five star, luxury stuff!

Sorry, every other local developers in town, and to all their families…No business in town for you! MegaCorp, International (A conglomerate of billionaire developers, their corporate backers and international financial institutions can handle that element, too. (The rich get richer, and everyone else goes out of business and has to leave the state, or take up accommodations somewhere on the sidewalk.) Hey, if Home Depots can put all the local supply companies out of business, why not apply this concept to the entire development process, as well. (Man, I’m starting to think if you want any construction or supply business in this town, you gotta have your kids on council, or pay for the politicians election and buy ‘em into office, so they can pave the way (for you to pave), or something.

So now that we know a little about HOW what is about to get done, is about to get done – let’s review the “master plan” for downtown Los Angeles, Cahootsifornia:

My friend Al Ries (International/Fortune 500 consultant and co-author of “Marketing Warfare” and author of “Focus”) says a product (in this cast the city) must have a narrow, specialized focus that allows the consumer to associate you with a specific benefit. (Be known for something.) Starbucks pulled this off by focusing on “coffee”. Domino’s with “delivery”. (They actually created the whole Domino’s concept from the bottom up. In other words, “OK, we’re gonna be the guys who deliver it in 30 minutes, or less. And built the facilities and zoned the delivery areas accordingly.)

So what is LA known for? (Besides being the open-armed embracer for all who wanna be a part of this fun)…Entertainment.

But, I guess the mere production isn’t good enough anymore. (Cause the city waived all the tax revenues to prevent runaway productions. And, Hollywood can show a loss on “Star Wars”, “Spiderman” or “Pirates” through creative accounting, if they want to. Poor fellas. They can just barely scrape by.)

So instead of gambling, or auto manufacturing, we are focusing on buying our way to the top of the convention city business, focusing on providing “world-class”, “state of the art”, “nice as f*ck” theater and broadcast facilities, so the whole world can fly here for their music award shows, and House of Blues cable broadcasts, and movie screenings and premiers with all the techno-structure to accommodate a TRUE international press corp and broadcasters to beam the even all over the world.

Of course, we are already getting that business anyway. So looks like the Hollywood area, currently attracting these gigs/business are about to become the CD in an iPod world. (Maybe we can house the homeless in all those empty unused venues that are about to become the LA Forum of the Hollywood ET/Access Hollywood world.)

And how do you blow away the rest of the world, and wipe everything else off the map? (At least in the California race for convention business that we consistently lose big to San Fran, San Diego and Orange County. Cause you ain’t never gonna beat Vegas till you get gambling inside that Ritz Carlton, JW Marriott, Hilton and Mandarin Hotels coming to Downtown LA. Skid Row isn’t as good a tourist attraction as Danny Gans, free alcohol and blackjack tables, apparently.)

So let’s take a look at one of the two billion dollar bookend projects the city has online to give LA that steroid injection it needs to become the international tourist and convention magnet it must become; or else we really will become that third world city the critics are warning us about. (And in this global war, the city is gonna have to focus all resources and funding toward this “Hail Mary” attempt if there is any hope of pulling it off.)

So let’s see what one, of these two mixed-use, luxury condo, five star hotel, specialty/boutique shop, fancy restaurant upscale billion dollar wife babysitter projects has in store, with the only the community’s best interest in mind:

[A MASSIVE, PRODIGIOUS, BULWARK OF AN ARTICLE, QUITE FITTING TO ADDRESS THE ALLEDGED SCALE OF THESE PROJECTS. AND SINCE LA TIMES IS HELL BENT ON BEING KNOWN AS THE “INTERNATIONAL NEWS SPECIALISTS”, here’s a little Sunday Times style reading, for yo azz! Except this is on the realest, dough.]

THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPILATION OF INFORMATION ON THIS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES REVITAILIZATION FANTASY PROJECT (ONE OF MANY PROMISED “CORNERSTONES”) THAT WILL MAKE THE DOWNTOWN SKYLINE LOOK GOOD FOR PEOPLE FLYING IN FROM OVERSEAS, BUT WON’T DO MUCH FOR THE RESIDENTS OF LOS ANGELES EXCEPT SUCK THE SOUL AND MONEY OUT OF THE CITY

Vegas, looks good: But at what expense. The place is like a Hollywood set. Everything looks good from the front, as you are walking down the strip. But the machine that built that shiny new skyline (and keeps it ticking) seems to have robbed the soul out of the community (average paying casino jobs with impossible hours) and turned Veags into the meth capital of the universe.

You got the crack heads walking the streets of the communities behind the casinos, as the wealthy international jet set crowd buys up all the luxury skyscrapers that gentrified the community.

LA doesn’t have gambling, but they still need a shiny new skyline for all the international billionaires to devour, or else we’ll sink even further as we continue to sit fifth on the totem pole behind lesser cities; San Fran, San Diego, Orange County and Vegas when it comes to the convention booking business.

If you look at the online brochures for these mulit-billion dollar CRA development projects, they all look just fantastic. Looks like a lot of fun time for tourists on a Saturday night. Only problem, these projects will rob the soul out of the community by sucking every available city cent, out of every nook and cranny of the city funds – and will wipe away all the locally owned and operated businesses in the area. (Like a giant Home Depot of restaurants, shops and entertainment.) No more local flare. No more of that "diverse culture" that city's like LA brag about. Just pre-fabricated, planned mixed-use mega-center tourist attractions. (And we all know how tired tourist-based living gets.)

The little everyday amenities that are available, will fold, and you will be forced to not only commute for work, but for grocery shopping and everything else. (Except high end boutique specialty items, or a five star tea part at the Ritz Carlton.)

If the billionaire developers and their mega-international banking partners realize their dreams and fantasies, Downtown Los Angeles is about to try and “buy” its’ way into the international convention business, attempting to wipe everything else off the map. It hasn’t worked before. But this time, I think they will continue to throw enough money at the problem to at least get the stuff built. [At what expense to investors and the community remains to be seen. But it will look great, and be a fantastic addition to all the investor's corporate portfolio.]

Stuff like the Ritz-Carlton Condos, fancy restaurants, special event theaters, upscale shops. Everything a CEOs wife could want to keep her busy while her billionaire hubby gives a keynote at the convention. All the employees/attendees…well I guess they can sleep down the street with everyone else on Skid Row who can’t afford the five star convention accommodations.

Bottom line: The fix is in, and a few people, with the most money have spoken. They can say the number one priority is to fix the schools, reduce crime, manage traffic congestion, build more affordable housing, clean up skid row and create more high paying jobs…but that’s all bullsh*t.

The number one priority of the City of Los Angeles, as revealed by Villaraigosa and the despicable Jan Perry is to turn downtown LA into an upscale convention region, flanked by two competing luxury hotel, condo, restaurant, shopping, entertainment and theater projects; Grand Ave and LA Live, to create the Vegas like atmosphere to help pull in some business for that big white elephant convention center sitting near the Staples Center (that was supposed to solve the problem).

And remeber, Janice Hahn also wants to build another convention center near LAX. So I sure hope businesses start having A LOT MORE conventions, instead of less, as travel and convention costs continue to rise, and electronic communication make them easier to cut back on.) Because now all these billions and billions being invested into a Downtown convention area will have to compete with a more convenient and more economically feasible Janice Hahn LAX Convention Center.

And LA is banking on all these downtown tourists and conventions to have huge convention budgets. Because everything is five star, therefore you will be booking your employees at the Ritz, JW Marriott or Mandarin Hotel. (Or one of the other cheap ass hotels like Bonaventure or Westin.) Not building any affordable hotels, like they aren’t building any affordable housing, so they have just priced themselves out of the convention business.

Here’s more on LA LIVE, the answer to all your problems, with a starting price of over $2 billion. [ZD legislative review in brackets.]

LA LIVE: In September, 2005, the Mayor attended the ground breaking ceremony for Phase 1, scheduled for completion in 2007. [Oh good, I see we’re right on track! Look at the delays, and they haven’t even started.]

L.A. LIVE will also be the region's most in-demand and busiest hospitality location [Oh! I guess the facts and statistics are in!?!?], featuring 260,480 square feet of conference center and ballroom facilities [good we should put the homeless there, since it will sit empty most of the time]; eight world-class restaurants [GOOD, cause we’re turning into a third-world country], including the ESPN Zone [Oh, I almost thought it said EDUCation Zone], Flemings Prime Steakhouse [no transfats please, that would be bad for the City] and Wine Bar, Katsuya, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Yard House, Rosa Mexicana and dining concepts developed by Wolfgang Puck [actual diversity, if you can afford Wolfgang], Celestino Drago and others [things no one said they wanted or needed];

a 100,000-square-foot special events deck [for your shady special event fee waivers]; the famous Lucky Strike Lanes bowling center [I think bowling alleys downtown named after cigarettes are gonna get the mayor re-elected]; the celebrity-owned Conga Room [I was against it until I heard it was “celebrity owned”…I’m sure they’ll feed homeless children that won’t have affordable housing now]; and the one-of-a-kind Grammy Museum saluting the history of music and the genre's best known awards show. [And we all know there is nothing more needed in this city right now than a museum paying tribute to awards shows. Meanwhile, how about finishing the Children’s Museum, first?]

All of the aforementioned facilities will be centered around NOKIA Plaza LA Live, a 40,000-square-foot outdoor event space. [Maybe Zev can put all the skid row homeless there, instead of those mountain campgrounds the NIMBYS are fighting. HEY…I bet Kaiser could get away with illegal dumping there, cause it’s private space!]

(Los Angeles) – Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today joined Tim J. Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG as he announced AEG and KB Home will partner to finance the development of the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel, the linchpin LA Live! downtown project. The Mayor strongly supports the partnership which will accelerate building the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel.

“This partnership will ensure [at least promises, if not delivers] that LA Live and the hotel not only come to fruition [or at least fantasy] but will make Los Angeles the entertainment capital of the West Coast,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. [Is that all it takes? One hotel!]

“Furthermore, [don’t say ‘furthermore’ you haven’t really said anything yet] the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel is absolutely necessary if Los Angeles wants to have a convention center that is able to compete with other convention centers in the region.” [If the nation’s second biggest City isn’t even competitive with the region…save your time and money, now. This isn’t the answer. (No casinos!) Everyone visits and moves to LA because they like LA: So you want to completely change into being just like everywhere else. ZONE AWAY, A-HOLES!]

The AEG and KB Home partnership will ensure [at least hope] that the four-star hotel will become a reality for downtown Los Angeles. [But that reality may not include enough demand or occupancy.]

LA Live! A multi-use development, is critical to the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles [developers’ bank accounts] and fulfills the Mayor’s vision to make downtown one of the most recognized and attractive areas not only in the City but in the country as well. [Designed in his own image! And by the way, this doesn’t fulfill it. That happens when it is completed and operational.]

When [If] completed, it will serve to attract more than 10 million visitors [How? I don’t see] which in turn will infuse $9 billion into the economy and create more than 25,000 jobs. [That’ll be the day that Jesus walks into the CRA office to apply for some of the mandatory affordable housing that those sunset clauses have a way of setting on.]

The project covers six city blocks in the South Park neighborhood and will be the signature of the neighborhood. Restaurants, nightclubs, sports bars, [instead of the types of amenities people will still have to go to Silverlake or Pasedena to get] high density housing, [yeah, The Ritz Carlton Condo; that’s what they are calling “housing’] a 7,100 seat state-of-the art theater, radio and television broadcast facilities [glad we are building those. Maybe they can build some practical housing and needed community amenities]; offices and the Convention Headquarters Hotel are all components of this new entertainment district. [And “entertaining” is the big crisis the city is facing! I heard Bratton say just the other day, “We can’t entertain our way out of this.” I tend to disagree. And I happen to know from inside sources, entertaining are also big issues at LAUSD and all the social services. And the middle class being pushed out of town in the other parts of town...they demand more entertaining, too!]

The hotel [Ritz Carlton and Five Star Marriott, nothing most tourists or business conventions will be able to afford] will have 1,100 rooms as well as meeting, ballroom and amenity space of approximately 185,000 square feet. [To go along with all the convention space, already not being used, because it's too expensive to get downtown from the airport -- and too much traffic -- and, well...skid-you-know-what' in addition to the new convention center Janice Hahn wants to build near the airport. I hope people that go to conventions start having a lot of babies!]

Mayor Villaraigosa broke ground on LA Live! on September 15, 2005

The Convention Center Headquarters Hotel will feature spectacular rooms that will provide views to the Westside and downtown skyline. [Overlooking all the problems these projects not only won’t solve, but add to.]

AEG is developing a downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment destination, a 4-million square foot development adjoining The STAPLES Center and The Los Angeles Convention Center. [And you are telling us, instead of trying to keep it secret? Remember what happened last time you used the words, "AEG" and "STAPLES Center" regarding development? The Valley still haven't cooled down from that. And this will remind them again!]

The multi-faceted entertainment destination will feature an exciting mix of entertainment venues, restaurants, retail commercial and residential spaces, television and radio broadcast studios and concert spaces. [Can families who parents have to work downtown, but can't find housing within eighty miles crash in the radio studios when they aren't being used? Or maybe Clear Channel can build some affordable housing in the area?]

Highlights of the district will include a 40,000-square foot outdoor plaza, a ESPN broadcast and restaurant facility, Regal Theatres and Club NOKIA at L.A. Live. [And not ONE thing of public benefit.]

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live will be a premier mid-sized music/theatre venue featuring state-of-the-art acoustics and seating for 7,000. [Sounds perfect for a James Taylor perfomance at a David Geffen benefit. Or some other wine and cheese event.]

NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live will look to host the Latin GRAMMY® Awards and ESPY Awards, as well as numerous other productions from VH1, MTV, and BET. [In that case, they are only taking business from other nearby venues? So how does that help revitalize? Sounds like it will only cannibalize? Hey, Garcetti...make them cut you in as Council President, since it will be tanking your own districts' investment.]

It is also available for corporate shareholder meetings, product launches, and seminars. [Good the shareholders can discuss how the project they are having the meeting in is weakening the local economy and their revenues will be going down, unless they are targeting the poor, or rich international tourists.]

Club NOKIA at L.A. Live

In an effort to bring the best in live music and entertainment to Los Angeles, NOKIA and AEG are joining forces to create Los Angeles' most renowned club for live music and cultural events. [Why is the city making this much of an effort to entertain? Why not this much effort to educate?]

The stand-alone club, which will accommodate up to 2,400 patrons, will feature up and coming music acts, bands, and cultural shows.

The club may also be used to host private parties and corporate events.[Sounds like this whole project is the “home depot” of regional entertainment. It’ll put everyone else out of business, then you’ll only have one big, sanitized “Promonade/Citywalk-style” tourist infused entertainment scene. And we all know that gets tired after about one month.]

NOKIA Plaza (Welcome to Nokiatown, CA)

Situated in the heart of the nation's entertainment capital, NOKIA Plaza provides a 40,000-square foot open-air plaza that will serve as the central meeting place for Los Angeles' Sports and Entertainment District. [And there’s no more important goal the City should be focused on, toward the goal of uplifting the community, and society at large as Sports and Entertainment. I think the City should be doing MORE in this area, instead of leaving it to the private sector/No CRA involvement.]

The Plaza will serve as one of the district's key anchors, providing a broadcast venue featuring giant LED screens as well as a red carpet site for special events. [IF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES WERE A RESTAURANT, IT WOULD SERVE NOTHING BUT DESSERT!]

The NOKIA Theatre venues are part of the "NOKIA Unwired" marketing platform, which brings live music to fans in both the NOKIA Theater venues and on TV through "NOKIA Presents Hard Rock Live" on MTV. [How about something that brings education to students of LAUSD, not the crap they play on MTV! And F*CK NOKIA! I'm already sick to my stomach from seeing the word, "Nokia". Why don't you just put up a big billboard at LAX: "Welcome to Latham/AEG/Broad's Las Nokia-Disney/Universal, California!"]

Hotel and Condominiums

A 54-story, 1000-room convention "headquarters" hotel that will combine the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton brands and 216 luxury condominiums - The Residences at The Ritz Carlton [How about building something people planning conventions can afford. I thought you wanted convention business? Five star hotels are for rich individuals. Maybe the CEOs will stay there. How about everyone else? Gotta build those, too, renaissance planners!]

The project, considered the largest development in Los Angeles' history, will be host to an exciting mix of venues and facilities. [At the same time all the middle-income folks are fleeing the area, to be replaced by new low income immigrants. Plus wealthy international immigrant land investors/speculators/developers.]

"On behalf of AEG and all of our partners, we are here today to break ground for the largest and most important development in the history of Downtown Los Angeles [if you say so, although Eli Broad would beg to differ, I’m sure] , LA Live," said Timothy J. Leiweke, President & CEO, AEG. "This project is real, this project is happening and this project is important. LA Live will give Los Angeles the ability to attract the best and most important events for our city." [Keep trying to convince yourself. Call Stuart Smalley, maybe he can read you an affirmation, himself.]

"Most importantly, our company's investment of nearly $1 billion coupled with an additional $3.5 billion commitment from the other private investors in LA Live and the surrounding downtown residential district has brought this city a fully privatized, fully financed and fully entitled development. A $4.2 billion development that does not require any public subsidy" Leiweke added. [Are you willing to put that in writing?]

Gladstone's 4 Fish, Junior's Deli Boys, Il Moro, Katsuya, and New Zealand Natural will provide a variety of established dining opportunities for LA Live visitors. Agreements with P.F. Chang's and French 75 are in the final stages of negotiations. [Besides the few times a year J Lo or Santana shows up at The Conga Room for all the VIPs to attend, anything your average city resident can take their family to without taking out another mortgage?]

Upper floors will house luxury suites to accommodate visiting sports teams, headline performers, and upscale guests. The hotel will also include up to 111 fully serviced luxury condominium units on the top floors offering 24-hour valet and concierge staff, food and room services, and other amenities. The 1.1 million sq. ft. hotel will be developed by Wolff-Apollo and designed by Gensler. [Looks like they’ve solved the NBA housing crisis! And now Elton John has a new place to rave about next time he’s in town! And I’m sure the rest of the voting public couldn’t be happier about that!]

The hotel is expected to significantly boost efforts to attract key conferences, exhibitions, conventions and corporate meetings to the convention center, strengthening the entire Los Angeles region's tourism and new business opportunities. [You expected everyone to move into all those lofts and businesses everyone is already moving out of, cause you haven’t put this much effort into the actual solutions, that don’t included luxury accommodations for Shaq when he flies into town to beat the Lakers.] City general funds will not be used to finance the hotel's development. [I HOPE NOT!!! Thanks for bragging about not using City money to build a Paris Hilton Hotel. City funds will not be used to build any affordable housing. Why don’t you mention that, too!]

At the groundbreaking, Leiweke announced several new, major l.a. live business partners: [Lots of business partners, not too many community and social improvement partners.]

ESPN will create a regional headquarters and sports entertainment venue in a unique 120,000 sq. ft. broadcast studio that will be the home for a number of live and taped programs. Included in this building will be the ESPN Zone - a multi-level restaurant, sports bar, and game area. An approximately 10,000 sq. ft. radio broadcast center is also planned for live radio in an adjacent building.

Regal Entertainment Group will develop a 90,000 sq. ft. cinema complex with 3,700 seats and featuring digital sound, stadium seating, and state-of-the-art projection systems. This flagship theater will serve as a new venue for movie premieres and special screenings. [So long Hollywood, moving the “premier and screenings” over here. Again, this won’t generate more business to the area. Just move it away from other areas. But I’m glad Leo Decaprio’s quality of life is about to improve. I can think of no better use of this prime real estate than for occasional “premiers and specials”. Can LAUSD use the space to teach kids in between those important special occasions?]

The GRAMMY® Museum will be housed in a 28,000 sq. ft. space designed for a permanent display of music genres and the science of recorded music as well as new interactive presentations recognizing past and president GRAMMY® winning artists. [How about an actual cultural arts center where kids actually learn how to play an instrument, not just look at statues of Beyonce’.]

"Sports and entertainment often converge in the diverse city of Los Angeles and establishing a major presence there is a very positive step in the long-term growth of our company," [but not the long-term growth of our kids or community] said George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks. [I don’t know who has their hooks in deeper in this town, Disney or Universal? Mickey Mouse is actually the real mayor of LA] “Originating more programming and extending our brand with an ESPN Zone will create a stronger ESPN. [TOP, TOP, TIPPY TOP City priority and philanthropic benefit to the community!] Given the success of our past collaborations with AEG [and how the valley wanted to secede from LA] and the scope and promise of LA Live, we are eager to expand our L.A.-based operations." [And I’m glad the city can help facilitate your eagerness for expansion!]

"Diversity is the lifeblood of our vibrant city. The Conga Room is proud to partner with LA Live to showcase its unique brand of Latin American culture and music," said Jimmy Smits, co-owner, The Conga Room. [Yeah, a Latin American bar, real diverse. Not enough Latino culture. That’s the diversity missing in this town! And by being a specific culture, it’s not diverse, idiots! Call it what it is…Jimmy Smits is a famous actor: Let him open the bar. And to all the bar owners about to go out of business. Go into acting.]

"Hilton is pleased that we have been selected to manage this new hotel, particularly since it is located in our corporate back yard. [Glad we could make life easier for you!]

"Great cities attract great conventions and visitors. [Yeah, that’s why we’ve losing out] This Hilton hotel and LA Live will establish Downtown Los Angeles as a world class destination. [I thought the Omni/Bonaventure/Westin/Staples/Convention Center/Etc was supposed to do that? I say you do that through building a great “real” city.] Our team is absolutely committed to bringing this hotel to life and transforming Los Angeles into one of the most attractive destinations for conventions in the nation, [that’s the same kind of optimistic speech the Captain of the Titanic said about the Titanic just before it sank]" said Lew Wolff, Chairman and CEO, Wolff Urban Management, which is co-developing the Los Angeles Convention Center Headquarters Hotel.

• Numerous high-end fine dining, casual and ethnic restaurants as well as nightclubs, coffee shops, and bistros which will provide a rich mixture of high quality food and settings, providing visitors with a true "Taste of L.A.;" [Is that the taste of LA? I guess Canter’s, Pinks, Roscoes, Baja Fresh, Big Daddy’s Venice, all the city’s authentic Mexican restaurants…you’re not high-end and fine…you’re not true. You think a billionaire developers wife wants to eat at any place the rest of the world can afford?]

• 4,000 residential apartments and loft condominiums within three blocks of the sports and entertainment district are under construction or in the planning stages. [How close is it to grocery stores, repair shops, cleaners, schools, gyms, after school programs, social services, neighborhood council meetings?]"Today Los Angeles is reaffirming its position as the entertainment capital of the world. LA Live will bring a vibrant sports and entertainment district to Downtown Los Angeles with exciting new places for families to dine and watch a movie, concert or game. [But nothing to do, and no where to feed your kids on a budget.] The entire City of Los Angeles will benefit from the thousands of jobs it will create and billions of dollars it will pump into our local economy," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ["Entire city will benefit?" OK Mayor, now I’m gonna sue your ass for fraudulent claims.]

"The LA Live sports and entertainment district is a boom for our local economy and the world-class facility will continue downtown's unprecedented revitalization efforts," said State Senator Gil Cedillo, who represents the area where the project will be developed. [So that’s how you know this is a bad deal.]

LA LIVE restaurants, theaters, landscaped courtyard, and media headquarters are certain to continue our efforts to reinvigorate our city center and make it an even more attractive destination for tourists and local families alike. Additionally, the project brings a wealth of quality job opportunities and profound economic development to the South Park neighborhood, surrounding areas, and the city as a whole," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents the 9th Council District where the project will be located. [Quality job opportunities, like construction worker or waiter once it is open. Notice how Jan's paragraph was the most pompous, grand, politi-speak in this whole massive post? Take your nose out of the air Jan, you have nothing to be arrogant about?]

"There is no more defining influence on the future of Downtown L.A. than the LA Llive development by AEG," said Mark Liberman, president & CEO of LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It presents LA with the promise of a wholly new and exciting visitor destination in the center of the second largest city in the country. Our industry is eager to work closely with AEG, its partners and the City to make the vision presented today a reality. There's no hiding the fact that what we've seen today can be a convention sales organization's dream come true." [What about the constituents’ of Los Angeles’ dreams come true? I guess one man’s dream, is the rest of our nightmare.]

MACFARLANE: While San Francisco-based MacFarlane invests money for the California Public Employees' Retirement System and other big clients. [In speculative, partially planned billion dollar city projects, that assumes enough risk to trigger all the warning flags to investors. Mainly, cost over-runs and inefficiency that will plague profitability. Either that, or they will have to come running to the city for a bail-out.]

"Downtown has been the redheaded stepchild with braces compared to the Westside," Wise said. [And I think now is the perfect time for the city to attempt to have Downtown swim upstream, against public will.]

"This is really a quantum leap forward in terms of credibility about downtown's revitalization," he added. [The “quantum leap” is the announcement with is only a leap “forward” in terms of credibility…it doesn’t restore it.]

Owners of downtown's Bonaventure Hotel tried to stop AEG's hotel plans in court, arguing that AEG will have an unfair competitive advantage because it will receive financial assistance from the city. The suit was later dropped. [Not because it isn’t unfair. But because they City gave in to Bonaventure “tick for tack” demands.]

The deal approved by the City Council calls for AEG to receive a rebate of at least $246 million in the hotel bed taxes it is expected to generate during the first 25 years of operation. In addition, the project is being given a $5-million grant from the city redevelopment agency and a rebate of $4 million in building permit fees.

Those concessions from the city were essential to getting the hotel started, Leiweke said. [I thought the big deal about this was it was completely funded by private money and how it is so successful that they don’t need any help?]

San Francisco-based MacFarlane, which invests in urban real estate developments, will provide as much as $400 million in financing, said Chief Executive Victor MacFarlane. The company also may invest in the $2-billion Grand Avenue retail, residential and office project set to begin construction north of Staples on Bunker Hill later this year. [And Antonio may run for re-election.]

"We'll probably invest in the two largest bookends downtown," he said. [And two riskiest, bookends, waiting to become a price over-run nightmare as construction costs soar, and delays allow prices to continue to skyrocket. And these increases are not factored in. So, all of these figures are just minimum starting prices, like an opening bid on ebay.]

Also helping fund construction of the hotel are the expected sales of the condominiums, which are priced at $1.5 million to $6 million. [Oh no, all those shabby, affordable $1.5 units will bring down the value of the $6 million dollar units. Can’t we raise the prices on the lower priced units to help keep property values up. I mean, really!]

Buyers have already made deposits on nearly half of the units, Leiweke said. [Where are these people coming from? Must be flying them in from somewhere else?]

"He has made a huge investment in this community in infrastructure, in entertainment and in sports, and those three drive our economy," said L.A. developer Steve Soboroff, a former adviser to ex-Mayor Richard Riordan, who worked with Anschutz on the Staples Center and other projects. [Sports and entertainment drive our economy? That’s a problem then, if you ask me? No wonder our community is in trouble if that’s what drives it. You forgot to throw in junk food and porno.]

Hotel tax rebates fuel anger:

The 54-story hotel will put the city's downtown convention center in the running for business that now goes elsewhere, said Jack Kyser, chief economist at the development corporation.

But the up-to-$290 million in hotel tax rebates that the Los Angeles City Council approved for the property last year drew the ire of many Angelenos.

CM Jan Perry: There is a perception of enthusiasm for this market. [That’s quite a bit of of land dedication (including public) and money (including public and pension) going toward a mere “perception of enthusiasm”. (Sounds like a Larry David spin-off show.)]

Jan Perry: It should be a catalytic project for activating the surrounding streets [you mean congest them with gridlock traffic (see Century City), improving and enhancing the appeal of the convention center worldwide. It should increase our convention business enormously. It’s a critical project that we must get built. [I didn’t “Convention Business” showed up as any of the solutions in all those Ad Hoc Reports on crime, homelessness, traffic and other citywide problems we are trying to solve through prudent city planning. All of these billion dollar projects, built under the guise of “improving and enhancing” (instead of actually solving) …

Q: Jan, your council office has been incredibly successful in advancing the renaissance of downtown, but what have you not been as able to do re development?

CM Perry (YUK!): The biggest loss has been our inability to develop long-term and permanent housing for people who are homeless. For example, tying together the high level of development activity on the Figueroa corridor, using that tax increment within the boundaries of the area to create a lot of new construction. I’m not talking about transitional hosing. I’m talking about long-term housing to give people some stability in their lives. [Yeah, and I don’t see how any of this addresses any of that?]

Q: Two last questions. What is reasonable time-line for building out L.A. Live?

CM YUK: Well, I think you can use the first Staples Center project as a benchmark for how long it takes AEG to do construction. I believe that project was done in two years or less. [Yeah, Jan, but that was just one building, although a big one. This is like the Universal City Walk, plus housing and hotels? Why are you using apples for an oranges timeline? And that was then…skyrocketing cost will continue to cause these projects to become expensive bridges, burning behind you. Hope it doesn’t catch you, and shut down the projects. After all, look at the Los Angeles Children’s Museum. Couldn’t even get that done without City Council having to approve an emergency “loan”.]

Q: In the next mayoral campaign, what should the candidates be addressing?

YUK: Economic development—bringing projects online that will create a larger market for jobs at all levels and making sure we keep pace with this emerging market for housing. We also must look at the city’s infrastructure, what needs to be done and how to pay for it. [I agree, we should do that, no these (Grand/Live).]City requirements dictate that AEG include a 20% affordable housing component in the project. To meet that, AEG has given $8 million to the YWCA [How will the other religions feel about giving the money to another religious organization. After all, it is a “Christian” Association] to develop a new campus for their Job Corps facilities and 200 two-bedroom apartments for very low-income program participants. The seven-story, $43 million structure will rise on the block bounded by 12th, Pico, Figueroa and Flower. An additional $2 million CRA grant helped acquire the land. [City money for private project, y’all!?!? I wanna sit on there whenever I want!]

RE: GRAND In April, 2006, the Mayor unveiled Phase 1 of this $2 billion project, which began construction in 2006 and ends in 2010.

THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPILATION OF INFORMATION ON THIS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES REVITAILIZATION FANTASY PROJECT (ONE OF MANY PROMISED “CORNERSTONES”) THAT WILL MAKE THE DOWNTOWN SKYLINE LOOK GOOD FOR PEOPLE FLYING IN FROM OVERSEAS, BUT WON’T DO MUCH FOR THE RESIDENTS OF LOS ANGELES EXCEPT SUCK THE SOUL AND MONEY OUT OF THE CITY

CRA/AEG/MacFarlane Bring You "LA LIVE" $900 Million Condos and More -- Instead of What We Really Need To Revitalitze DowntownWATCH THIS HILARIOUS JERK-OFF VIDEO OF THIS JERK-OFF PROJECT[And watch this blog and for much more on this pompous, ego-driven, billion dollar white elephant waiting to happen.] See also: Neighborhood Council Blog

Just what we need...more five star hotels, botique shops, restaurants and entertainment along "Tumbleweed Connection". I know, I know...build it and they will come. FIRST, YOU BRAG IN LA WEEKLY THAT YOU PLAN ON BUILDING SO MUCH HIGH DENSITY HOUSING THAT TRAFFIC WILL COME TO A GRIDLOCK HAULT. THEN, YOU PLAN ON PEOPLE FLOCKING TO THE AREA TO GO TO PF CHANG'S? Riiiiiiiiight! I think the City should be sticking to basics; prove to the constituents that they can tie their shoelaces (accomplish something). How come the only people that do not see the problem with this are the ones making the money off the development?

Not to say that I am against more of these billion dollar downtown boondoggle projects by the CRA (Community Robbing A-holes)...but I hope an earthquake destroys the enitre project two-seconds the ribbon cutting ceremony! Except, then the CRA would just be happy -- because then -- they could build it all over again, and make the money all over again!

AND NOW, IF YOU LIKE TRAGIC FAIRYTALES, HERE'S ONE:

PRESS RELEASE [Propoganda Fantasy Spin]

L.A. LIVE Welcomes New Cornerstone of Emerging Vibrant Downtown District With Hotel and Residences Groundbreaking Today; Major Financial Investors in Hotel and District Also Announce [We need a moratorium on “new cornerstones” downtown.]

Friday June 1, 9:00 am ET

Governor Schwarzenegger, Mayor Villaraigosa and Business Leaders Join AEG to Break Ground on The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Hotel at L.A. LIVE [Of course, there were cameras in attendance.]

LOS ANGELES, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- AEG, developers of L.A. LIVE, the world-class sports, entertainment and residential district being built in [the un-world class, skid row homeless infested] downtown Los Angeles, will break ground today on a 1,001-room hotel/224-room residence tower that will serve as the project's anchor [cause it’s gonna sink the city], at a ceremony led by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. [Battle of the choppers.]

Also on hand to mark the start of construction of the 54-story, Class A high-rise [in an “unsafe” Class F zone] were [a couple do nothing] Los Angeles City Council; Speaker of the California State Assembly, agendized, niche, extremist activist Fabien Nunez (sic); Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Marriott, International Inc., J. W. Marriott, Jr.; and President and CEO of AEG Timothy J. Leiweke. [Creating a joint powers authority called, “Gentracorp”] The hotel/condominium tower, which will total 2 million square feet on 2.5 acres of land [that will now not be used for practical amenities, affordable housing, health and social services, vocational training, housing for middle-income/average downtown worker], will contain The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, the JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton hotel.

Scheduled for completion in early 2010, [I wish it could get here sooner, cause the vacancy rate of luxury, five-star hotels and condos is becoming a public safety issue], it will be the final building to commence construction on the extremely active, 27-acre L.A. LIVE site, which is adjacent to STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. [I’ll say it’ll be the final building…the City will be bankrupt after all these massive billion dollar plus CRA boondoggles.]

AEG BRINGS ON DEVELOPMENT PARTNERLeiweke also is expected to announce that the prominent real estate investment management firm MacFarlane Partners has agreed to become substantial investors in the $900 million hotel/condominium tower. [That’s nice…MacFarlane was almost entirely funded by a grant from LACER (pension money) to invest in minority urban areas that needed emergency redevelopment. Guess that didn’t pay off…so let’s hop on the Ritz-Carlton bandwagon. Hope they don’t blow all those people’s pension money in this complex, speculative, massive construction project, just as construction costs are skyrocketing, other five star hotels, luxury condos and boutique shopping will be competing with you and the water to provide all these downtown “cornerstones” is diminishing.]

The agreement also calls for MacFarlane Partners, an experienced investor in urban development and redevelopment projects that manages more than $15 billion in real estate assets, to provide investment oversight and consultation on the continued development and implementation of the project's overall vision and business plan. [Cut us in, y'all...we're on the list. So MacFarlane works with Grand Ave’s “Related Co.” AND THIS project. That’s about $5 billion investment (as a starting point)…MAN – hope they don’t invest that LACER money into this, too. They got a lot of eggs in one speculative, skid row infested, non-vibrant, and no one really cares that it is dead, or is rallying to revive area.]

"Having MacFarlane Partners on board not only brings tremendous experience and expertise to this project, but more importantly, the confidence that they provide for us is invaluable," said Leiweke. [WHY, you didn’t have confidence in yourself, or the project yourself? Oh, I get it…I guess if you wanna get one of these billion dollar projects put through in this town, you gotta cut MacFarlane in.] "Victor MacFarlane, Greg Vilkin and their team are the experts at what they do [being a part of every downtown project, like $95 million Forest City Loft developments] and this partnership will help to make a good project great." [They won’t try and ruin it for us, and try and get in our way.]

"Having invested in several properties in downtown Los Angeles over the past five years, we are a firm believer in downtown L.A. as a full-fledged, '18-hour city' with thriving residential, commercial and entertainment districts," said Victor B. MacFarlane, managing principal and chief executive officer of MacFarlane Partners. [Check the verbiage: He doesn’t say it IS a “full-fledged, ’18-hour city’…he says he is “ a firm believer” in it. Yeah, I’m a firm believer that the mayor will deliver on his campaign promise. That don’t mean squat. I’m a firm believer in ending homelessness and reforming the schools…not much progress there, either.] and "L.A. LIVE promises to be one of the most exciting projects in which we've invested and it will certainly play a central role in downtown being a place for people to live, work and play." [Oh, they ‘promise’! Will they refund the tax breaks and subsidies and give back the space to be used for something needed, practical affordable if they don’t deliver on that promise? Can I have that promise in writing? Again, CRA investments in speculative best wishes.]

FINANCIAL SERVICES LEADERS TO BECOME L.A. LIVE FOUNDING PARTNERSDuring an early morning business leader's summit on the economic rejuvenation and investment outlook [if you need to rejuvenate, the outlook doesn’t look to good] for downtown Los Angeles, Leiweke also will announce that Wachovia and AEG have entered into an agreement for the nation's fourth-largest bank holding company to become a "Founding Partner" of the entire L.A. LIVE development. The partnership calls for Wachovia to become the exclusive financial services partner of L.A. LIVE and to receive prominent branding, proprietary events, consumer promotion and client entertainment within the entire, 27-acre development. [How about “The Wachovia Middle Class Out-of-State Relocation Center?]

"From the business, marketing and community perspective, Wachovia is truly the ideal organization we were hoping to bring in as a Founding Partner for L.A. LIVE," [Yeah, their business is marketing to the communuity] Leiweke added. "Since entering the marketplace less than six months ago, Wachovia has clearly invested in our state and community in the right ways on so many levels. [Yeah, 54 levels!] While their understanding of what's important and how this city does business [oh, you mean making sure you cut everyone in] has been remarkable, what makes them such an outstanding company is their intelligent expansion on a business level and their total commitment to making a difference with their community initiatives." [Total commitment to making a difference of their bottom line.]

THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES AT L.A. LIVE CREATES A NEW LIVING ENVIRONMENTThe Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, a lavish collection of distinctive dwellings starting on the 27th floor, will top the 54-story L.A. LIVE tower that is set to dramatically re-shape the city's world-famous downtown skyline. Designed by world-renowned California architecture firm Gensler, the modern skyscraper is being developed as an iconic home and hotel above the bright lights of Los Angeles.The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE will offer world-class amenities and the legendary services of The Ritz-Carlton, the city's most breathtaking views from the Angeles Crest Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and an unmatched, prestigious address at the center of the all-new L.A. LIVE. A total of 224 residences currently are available for reservation.

"The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE are complemented with a world-class hotel property that answers a long-awaited need for Downtown L.A.'s millions of visitors," Leiweke said. "Nearly 50 percent of the residences have been reserved in just over a month, even before we've publicly marketed the project. The overwhelming interest proves the appetite for downtown living, especially for an exceptional residential retreat at the heart of L.A. LIVE."

THE RITZ-CARLTON AT L.A. LIVE AND JW MARRIOTT HOTEL AT L.A. LIVEThe Ritz-Carlton, a five-star luxury hotel property, will share the floors below The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE with the four-star JW Marriott Hotel. [See Rodney King…We all CAN get along!] A spacious layout of ballrooms, meeting spaces, rooftop decks, swimming pools, resort facilities and 1,001 hotel rooms will be available at the central hotel property, which will provide a new lodging option for the more than 2.5 million convention attendees who visit downtown Los Angeles each year. [And you will force them to now hold those meetings and conventions in Vegas, with your overprice, luxury accommodations that will price LA out of the convention buisiness.]

"The Ritz-Carlton is proud to serve as a hotel ambassador for L.A. LIVE, not only for its future residents, but for all future visitors and guests of downtown L.A.," said J. W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International.[ALL the future residents, visitors and guest won’t be able to fill your hotel rooms, my man. Not unless you build the FLY CALIFORNIA magic bullet train to Aisa.] "The combination of an entertainment district of this scale with such a unique hotel and residential tower project is a proposition unmatched anywhere in the world [because no one had the nerve, or was stupid/evil enough], and we look forward to providing many with a new home -- and home away from home -- in the new downtown L.A." [Many, yes…Millions, no!]

Additionally, The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Hotel at L.A. LIVE will create more than 800 full- and part-time jobs in Los Angeles after completion. [So would any other practical and needed project of that size.]

"Each and every component of this project will equip downtown with the key facilities and resources to attract the best and most important events for our city," added Leiweke. [IT’S A BUNCH OF FIVE STAR BULLSH*T!!! HOW CAN YOU SIT THERE AND SAY “EACH AND EVERY COMPONENT…KEY FACILITIES?” Sorry…I call schools, affordable/mid-priced housing, homeless services, vocational training, everyday amenities, things people who didn’t step off their private jet need are KEY facilities…I’d say NOTHING in this project is key?] "Most importantly, our investment and that of those in the surrounding residential district combined have brought Los Angeles a fully privatized, fully financed and fully entitled development. We're proud to have this anchor hotel set in the city for one and all to see that L.A. LIVE is truly alive." [Ha ha, Eli! We don’t need all that City and County corporate welfare…we are TRULY alive. Who do you think he means “isn’t” truly? Hey, Eli? You gonna let MacFarlane’s partner say that to you?]The sales and preview center for The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE is scheduled to open this fall, along with the first phase of L.A. LIVE, which will include Nokia Theatre l.a. live, a 7,100-seat, live-performance theater that will host concerts, family & cultural shows, Broadway musicals, awards shows and special events; and Nokia Plaza, a 40,000-square-foot open-air plaza that will serve as the central meeting place of L.A. LIVE. The second phase, set to open in 2008, will include an array of restaurants, Club NOKIA l.a. live, a 2,400-seat standalone venue for music acts, bands and cultural shows; and ESPN's West Coast headquarters and broadcast facility. The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Hotel at L.A. LIVE are set to open during phase three in 2010. [And I can think of no better way to put this prime space to use, than a second billion dollar luxury project because you HOPE people will care about downtown LA again, they way people are going to care about vinyl records again. And the days of “Leave it To Beaver” are returning again, soon, too!]

ABOUT L.A. LIVEAEG is currently overseeing the development of L.A. LIVE, a four-million-square-foot, $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential & entertainment district adjacent to STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center featuring NOKIA Theatre l.a. live, a 7,100-seat, live-performance theater; a 54-story, 1,001-room convention "headquarters" hotel (combining JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton brands and 224 luxury condominiums -- The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE), Club NOKIA l.a. live, a 2,200 capacity, live-music venue; a 14-screen Regal Cineplex; "broadcast" facilities for ESPN along with entertainment, restaurant and office space. [And nothing for me and you.]L.A. LIVE will also be the region's most in-demand and busiest hospitality location [Oh! I guess the facts and statistics are in!?!?], featuring 260,480 square feet of conference center and ballroom facilities [good we should put the homeless there, since it will sit empty most of the time]; eight world-class restaurants [GOOD, cause we’re turning into a third-world country], including the ESPN Zone [Oh, I almost thought it said EDUCation Zone], Flemings Prime Steakhouse [no transfats please, that would be bad for the City] and Wine Bar, Katsuya, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Yard House, Rosa Mexicana and dining concepts developed by Wolfgang Puck, Celestino Drago and others [things no one said they wanted or needed]; a 100,000-square-foot special events deck [for your shady special event fee waivers]; the famous Lucky Strike Lanes bowling center [good name it after cigarettes]; the celebrity-owned Conga Room [I was against it until I heard it was “celebrity owned”…I’m sure they’ll feed homeless children that won’t have affordable housing now]; and the one-of-a-kind Grammy Museum saluting the history of music and the genre's best known awards show. [And we all know there is nothing more needed in this city right now than a museum paying tribute to awards shows. Meanwhile, how about finishing the Children’s Museum, first?] All of the aforementioned facilities will be centered around NOKIA Plaza l.a. live, a 40,000-square-foot outdoor event space. [Maybe Zev can put them there, instead of those mountain campgrounds. HEY…I bet Kaiser could get away with illegal dumping there, cause it’s private space!

ABOUT MACFARLANE PARTNERSMacFarlane Partners is one of the leading real estate investment management firms in the United States, with $15 billion in assets under management. Founded in 1987, the firm offers an array of investment programs for its institutional capital partners that are derived from its core competencies in property development, smart growth/urban revitalization, and single-family home building.Considered a pioneer of the urban investment concept among institutional real estate managers, MacFarlane Partners invests in real estate development, redevelopment and repositioning projects in urban and high-density suburban areas nationwide. Among the properties in which it has invested are 1100 Wilshire and Metropolitan Lofts in Los Angeles; Bay Street Emeryville and The Uptown Apartments in the San Francisco Bay Area; Half Street in Washington, D.C.; and The Shops at Columbus Circle, the retail component of the Time Warner Center in New York City.The firm also invests in single-family residential land and housing developments in markets nationwide. To date, its investments have financed the development of 123,000 single-family homes and residential lots in 18 states with more than 100 different homebuilders.

MacFarlane Partners is headquartered in San Francisco, with regional offices in Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; and the greater New York metropolitan area. For additional information, please visit the firm's Web site at http://www.macfarlanepartners.com.

ABOUT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONALMARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE: MAR - News) is a leading lodging company with nearly 2,800 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, THE RITZ-CARLTON, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The RITZ-CARLTON Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has approximately 143,000 employees at 2005 year-end. In fiscal year 2005, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $11.6 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at http://www.marriott.com.

ABOUT AEGAEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Toyota Park, Toyota Sports Center, Anaheim Convention Center Arena, El Rey Theatre, Colosseum at Caesars Palace, NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie and NOKIA Theatre Times Square; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Riptide (MLL), four Major League Soccer franchises, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA), the ING Bay to Breakers foot race and the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race; AEG LIVE, the organization's live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production. Additionally, the company has begun fully developing London's 28-acre Millennium Dome which includes a 23,000-seat arena, the O2 and over 650,000sf of leisure and entertainment use within the "Dome" and additional arenas; The O2 World on a 45-acre site in the heart of Berlin; Citizen's Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California; Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri; as well as Red Bull Park and a soccer stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. For more information, visit AEG today at http://www.aegworldwide.com.

You may have heard of the nearly $2 Billion Downtown CRA mixed use project called, LA LIVE. (A Ritz Carlton Condo/Hotel, Marriott Hotel, PF Changs, Movie Theaters, Specialty Retail and open space. [If you are a rich billionaire visiting from Asia, you will love investing in this area! If you are a business or organization planning a convention near the convention center, well you better try Vegas, this will price the city right out of the ballpark!]

Plus a few other minor issues I am concerned about: Like the fact that there is no wat the City can be serious about thinking they can build another Universal City Walk Type project near Staples Center. They might be able to get some of it approved and built, but this is "pie-in-the-sky" fantasy land talk.

So just when you think there isn't enough demand for more five start hotels, luxury condos (instead of a range of affordable, middle and upper level residential housing for workers in the area), you forgot to factor in the fact that there is another OVER $2 billion five star hotel, luxury condo, specialy retail, restaurant and open space project to compete with the minimal demand. It's called...drumroll please...because it really deserves a prodigious, magestic, regal, fantastic, tribute of an introduction...

THE SAVIOR OF THE CITY, REGION AND WORLD!!! We are just lucky to have it. (Or at least have the approval to start spending the money!) Wikipedia on Grand Ave Project

I'm sure you will be reading much more about the overall details of the project (specifics of what it includes, business plan, comments from experts and community leaders, and the whole enchilada. Because how could you not? It's the biggest, most interspicably intertwined project in City, State or US History. Because you have the CRA, City Council, County -- AND, a private developer, Related Co. (working with CALPER, the pension money people who fund MacFarlane, who work with Related) ALL coming together for this one massive project, that has part of the details, sort of worked out...and they'll figure out the rest as they go along. (A $2 billion dollar starting point of a "wink and a handshake" to allow everyone to start spending and making the money!)

The city can barely agree on filling a pothole, but this “most complicated project ever” requires the CRA, County, City Council and Related Co. (the developer) to all agree.

They already had to go back and add over $100 million for construction due to rising construction costs (and those are only going to continue to rise, in part due to cement shortages due to massive construction around the globe).

OH MY GOODNESS...IT SAYS, “The critical goal of this Project from it’s inception has been to create the civic park for all Angelinos to enjoy. You mean to tell me creating of a park we already have is THE critical goal? Man, nice priorities. I guess skid row is less important than creating a park. This critically needed park is described as festivals, concerts, markets, but most importantly and most critically, “passive recreation.”

It will provide an “oasis” for residents, workers and tourists. How about an AD HOC committee addressing, “The critical need to create an oasis for passive recreation.”

“The reinvention of a much underutilized and inaccessible open space is one of the most significant community benefits that will result from the project.” (If you want to do that, you don’t have to spend $2 billion and give away the farm, I mean city. Meanwhile, if that’s one of the most significant benefits, I am not impressed.)

Shade, dining and entertainment are also noted benefits. (Shade, I’ll say…see EIR report. And if there is ONE thing this city is lacking, it’s dining and entertainment. I’m not at all concerned about the demand for this project!)

The way projects work in the city is always a "wedge in", then a "bait and switch". PUBLIC parking INCLUDING HOTEL parking was cut from 1113 to 745-755 to make way for more retail and condo space. Residential parking, however, was increased from 650 to 755!

The plan is proud to describe the amenities as BOTIQUE RESTARAUNTS AND SPECIALY SHOPS. That ain’t public benefit, y’all…

Second and third phases will be implemented as market conditions warrant. YIKES! What if they don’t. NOW WE’RE STUCK WITH A GIANT VERSION OF THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM BUT WAY WORSE!

The Dec 06 start date was pushed back nearly a year to Oct 07, already and is subject to further extention. GOOD! That should allow plenty of time for construction costs to continue skyrocketing.

Part of the problem why the date was pushed back already is over the slight problem that the project is so complicated, they already can't agree on things/hammer out phase one details (see page 12); and they need more time to get the entitlements. (I’m building a new football stadium for Councilmember Parks, I just have to work out those details, too.)

Regarding the County office building that may, or may not, have to be demolished and rebuilt itself (so they are waiting to see what happens there, even though they are going ahead with the park) -- status went from “not been specifically addressed” to “County may exercise option and notify related. (Notify them that they are screwed, and need to demolish and rebuild, I guess.)

I hope LACER pension money isn’t being invested into this project, because MacFarlane works with Related Co (the project developers) elsewhere in the city.And if actually HAD any pension money to invest, I would put in a stipulation that none of it may be invested in this risky, speculative, un-necessary project, with only detail for one (of three phases) worked out, and no guarantee that the project has enough funding to even be completed. (And all kinds of loopholes that allow developers to "filp" the project to new operators, once any part (office, housing, retail) is completed -- AND allows developers to scale back on the number of affordable housing units required.

Why pension money is risky investment: The City is tied in to the success or failure of this project with the private developers (Related) for the term of the 99 year lease. If construction costs over-run, the City gets hit, if we can’t find someone to build the five star Mandarin Hotel (and there is concern that we may not find someone willing to build more luxury hotel accommodations in the area, the city takes a hit. (See Bonneventure) If retail revenues and occupancy rates do not generate to the levels promised, the city takes a hit (because what we gave was based on what we expected to take in).

What if the project never even gets completed? With only phase one agreed to, and even that has not been executed, who’s to say people can’t drop out, default, or what if City money doesn’t come through?

ALSO, look how Related was selected as the developer by the Grand Authority (summary, page 3) Wonder what interests those selected to sit on the board (who selected the NY based company) had.

I also see in the summary that the project was approved for Related to be the developer, then substituted Related, with a spin-off company (GALA, Grand Ave LA) as developer, which is Related; plus CIUP (the CALPER pension people). [OH NO...CALPER IS THE PENSION FUND PEOPLE WHO INVEST IN MACFARLANE. PENSION FUND ALERT, Y'ALL!!! PENSION FUND ALERT!!! It says, “This was essentially the formal approval of the initial team selected. (Really, well what “un-essentials” were left out. (The City and ZD seem to differ on what is essential, and what isn’t.)

The "speculated" project cost already went up from $1.8 billion to $2.5, they haven't even started yet, and construction ain’t getting any cheaper.

The City is supposed to run municipal services for the City and help keep it ticking. Not use City funds (general and possibly pension) to invest in a forced, private project with no real benefit to the community, decided by a select few.

They say affordable housing is part of it, but the money they are using was allocated for this anyway. So we aren’t getting any extra affordable housing – we’re just letting them develop it.

It says, “permit change in net revenue sharing formula IF PORTIONS OF THE PROJECT ARE NOT DEVELOPED.

Developer can transfer it’s interests hotel, condos, office, retail to another operator once completed and enter into a direct ground lease with the new operator. The highest price speculate and “flip” in human history.

Funding plans include “potential” parking revenues -- and CRA Bunker Hill tax increment funds TO THE EXTENT AVAILABLE. (And if no parking revenue, since it is only “potential” and if the tax funds are not EXTENSIVE enough, then what…Is Eli Broad gonna panhandle for the money like everyone else in the area?)

ALERT ALERT: If developer does not receive CRA tax increment money for the agreed upon affordable housing (like, if they don’t have it) – they may reduce the amount of affordable housing units. Watch them not have it, and then we don't get the affordable part -- only the un-affordable part…(Price is Right ‘loser’ deflated sound effect…Whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp…whoooooooomp.)

During the term of the ground lease, they cannot convert the affordable housing to condos. But after the lease expires, kick out all the affordable residents and convert em to billion dollar condos. (Man does someone hope they have to break the lease, cause them it won’t be the term no more, y’all and they can get started with the luxury condo conversions.)

The affordable housing covenant only remains in effect for a minimum of 45 years for owners and 55 years for renters, so that means you can forget the covenant as soon as the minimum is up.

I bet people in the rest of the city won’t be too happy about the early notification and first opportunity to apply if you are a “local” worker. Plus 30% of workers are required to be local. If I lived in the valley and wanted work on the project, I would move into the area for preferential hiring. Therefore, taking residents and workers out of the other areas, and hurting their economy.

Anyway, sounds like a rock-solid plan and puts the most valuable land in the City to the best possible use, for actual community benefit, it looks like to me. If Downtown is having the types of problems that causes skid row to continue to thrive...I think this is the perfect solution!